By Lucy Ogalue
THE AFRICAN Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) are exploring closer collaboration to address migration and development challenges across Africa.
AfDB’s Senior Vice-President, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, in a statement, said this when the IOM Director-General, Amy Pope, visited her in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The discussions centred on a potential formal partnership that would build on previous successful collaborations such as the joint 2023 report on migration and development in Africa.
Akin-Olugbade praised the partnership between the two organisations, reiterating their shared vision.
“We already have a rich and productive relationship with IOM.
“As we discuss a potential formal agreement, we aim to be more targeted and concrete in our approach, fully using our combined strengths to show that well-managed migration can benefit everyone involved,” she said.
Akin-Olugbade emphasised that IOM’s perspective could help optimise AfDB projects.
“We finance many projects in infrastructure and regional integration. IOM’s perspective helps us create projects that achieve even more than they would without this collaboration,” she said.
“The two organisations plan to focus on sharing data and knowledge, conducting joint policy research, and developing projects that address migration’s structural causes, particularly climate change and economic disparities,” she said.
Meanwhile, the IOM director-general emphasised the importance of a deeper collaboration between both organisations.
“Our goal in working more closely with AfDB is to ensure people can move safely and with dignity, allowing them to contribute to their development and their country’s progress,” she said.
Pope reiterated the need to address key drivers of migration, including climate change and insufficient job creation, while recognising the challenges and opportunities associated with the migration of skilled workers.
Also, Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said there was a 150 per cent increase in migration along the Atlantic route in recent years.
Lopez-Ekra said there was an urgency for coordinated responses to tackle this challenge.
Both leaders agreed on the importance of combining IOM’s expertise in migration with the AfDB’s financial and technical capabilities to design projects that address root causes, improve regional integration, and enhance infrastructure.
The meeting was attended by high-level officials from both organisations, including Catherine Baumont-Keita, Director in the Office of the Senior Vice President at the AfDB.
The meeting was part of Pope’s official visit to Côte d’Ivoire, which also included engagements with government officials and other development partners. (NAN)
