Angola - A Decade of African Development Bank Investments Reshaping Development Outcomes

The African Development Bank and Angola's Ministry of Planning have unveiled the Angola Development Effectiveness Review (CDER), highlighting the Bank's contribution to the country's development over the past decade and its alignment with Angola's development priorities.

The report, presented in the capital, Luanda, on 16 September, examines the results achieved through the partnership in economic diversification, infrastructure, human capital, and regional connectivity, and looks ahead to opportunities to deepen collaboration and support Angola's next phase of transformation.

Covering the period 2016-2025, the review demonstrates how the Bank's financing, policy dialogue and technical assistance have advanced Angola's national development priorities, delivering measurable change for millions of Angolans. Since 2013, the Bank has committed approximately $2.9 billion to investments in energy, agriculture, water and sanitation, governance, youth and entrepreneurship, innovation, and private sector development.

"The report reflects the strength and maturity of the partnership between Angola and the African Development Bank. Our engagement has grown significantly in scale and scope and, above all, is translating into concrete results for people, businesses and communities," said Pietro Toigo, African Development Bank's Country Manager for Angola. "We remain committed to consolidating this strong foundation, in close collaboration with the Government of Angola."

Luís Kondjimbi Kaíca Epalanga, Angola's Secretary of State for Planning, said the review is centred on results: what the partnership has achieved, the lessons it offers, and how that evidence can inform future investment decisions.

"The results achieved in Angola provide a solid platform for expanding impact, particularly through productive investment, human capital and resilient infrastructure, fully aligned with the African Development Bank's Four Cardinal Points."

The report highlights that 1.3 million people gained access to electricity, around 550,000 gained new or improved access to safe drinking water, and approximately 30,000 benefited from improved sanitation. The Bank also supported 270 businesses, helped around 50,000 farmers adopt improved and climate-resilient technologies, and reached nearly 3,000 people through skills development programmes.

These results are evident in projects implemented nationwide. In the northern province of Cabinda, the Bank's support brought together agricultural production, processing, infrastructure, financing and skills development, enabling more than 53,000 farmers to receive training through 602 farmer field schools. Investments in science and technology also supported 161 postgraduate scholarships and 73 research projects, helped 1,204 girls pursue secondary education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and strengthened Angola's research infrastructure.

The report also highlights encouraging signs of structural transformation already underway. In 2025, agriculture, livestock and forestry accounted for 23.06% of gross domestic product, making them the largest single contributor to Angola's productive structure. This performance reinforces the sector's potential to drive economic diversification, value addition and job creation.

The Bank's support aligns closely with Angola's Vision 2050, its National Development Plan 2023-2027, and the Country Strategy Paper 2024-2029, which prioritises economic diversification and private sector-led industrialisation, complemented by investments in infrastructure and human capital development as drivers of competitiveness.

Looking ahead, a new wave of investments builds on the results documented in the review, promising even greater impact in the years ahead. These include the $211.4 million Eastern Angola Agricultural Value Chain Development Project, the $125 million Angola Youth Employment Project (Crescer), increased investments in sanitation for coastal cities, and the Bank's growing engagement in the Lobito Corridor, where it expects to commit about $500 million to link infrastructure, productive sectors, regional markets and competitive value chains.

This forward-looking agenda aligns with the Four Cardinal Points strategic vision set out by the Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah, which focuses on unlocking the power of Africa's capital; reforming Africa's financial architecture; harnessing the demographic dividend for economic growth; and building resilient infrastructure and competitive value chains.

Read the original article on African Development Bank (AfDB).