The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Central African Republic (CAR) have agreed to accelerate the delivery of priority investments in roads, energy, water, agriculture and air transport following a high-level mission to Bangui.
The nine-day operational dialogue, held from September 11 to 19 and led by AfDB Executive Director for CAR Régis Lakoué Derant and Director General for Central Africa Léandre Bassolé, reviewed portfolio performance and set out measures to shorten start-up times and strengthen implementation capacity, according to the press release issued by the AfDB on September 30.
During consultations with President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, Prime Minister Félix Moloua and key ministers, including Economy and Planning Minister Marc Mandaba and Finance Minister Hervé Ndoba, the Bank and authorities focused on removing bottlenecks in procurement, disbursement and oversight.
Both sides committed to better upfront preparation of operations, faster mobilization of implementing units, and tighter monitoring to speed up spending and results, in line with the Bank’s new 2026–2031 Country Strategy for CAR.
“We must work together to remove the constraints hindering project progress and create the conditions to speed up disbursements and the delivery of investments,” Lakoué Derant said.
A centerpiece of the mission was the Pointe‑Noire–Brazzaville–Bangui–N’Djamena Multimodal Transport Corridor (CD13), a $282 million AfDB Group-financed program intended to give CAR a second, more reliable outlet to regional markets via Congo’s port of Pointe‑Noire.
Field visits found that as of August 31, works were 98% complete on the 69‑km Bossarangba–Mbaïki section and on 4.5 km of urban roads in Mbaïki, now equipped with solar street lighting.
However, right‑of‑way clearance tied to community compensation has slowed progress, prompting calls for improved planning of resettlement procedures to avoid further delays. The corridor will also host a new cardiology center in Damara, now nearly 50% built, aimed at expanding specialist care nationwide.
At Bangui‑M’Poko International Airport, terminal modernization and associated works—including car park and power station upgrades—are more than 90% complete under the PAMAB program. Financed by a $13.67 million grant from the African Development Fund and the Transition Support Facility, the project targets International Civil Aviation Organization certification and stronger air connectivity for CAR.
Infrastructure Minister Arthur Bertrand Piri said sectoral meetings and regular coordination would give “new impetus” to flagged projects, including CD13, the airport and agricultural initiatives.
