By Ayomide Otitoju
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has wrapped up a four-day workshop in Kinshasa aimed at strengthening project management and improving the performance of Bank-financed operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The training, held from 8 to 11 September 2025, was organised by the African Development Institute and the Bank’s fiduciary departments in collaboration with the DRC Country Office. It brought together officials from government ministries, the Court of Auditors, and project implementation teams.
Opening the workshop, Mohamed Coulibaly, AfDB’s Acting Country Manager in the DRC, said the initiative would enhance accountability, transparency, and effectiveness by sharing knowledge on the Bank’s rules, procedures, and best practices.
Alain K. Malata, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Finance, underscored the importance of active participation, noting: “The quality of your commitment during this workshop will be decisive in improving the performance of the national portfolio.”
Participants engaged in practical sessions covering financial management, procurement, monitoring and evaluation, and results-based management, while also sharing experiences and best practices to strengthen project delivery.
Ann Sow Dao, Division Manager for Programme Management at the African Development Institute, highlighted the lasting value of capacity building. “Investing in skills to improve portfolio performance represents a high-impact intervention with enduring benefits for operational quality,” she said.
Recommendations from the sessions will be integrated into the Bank’s ongoing portfolio management activities in the DRC.
As of 1 September 2025, AfDB’s active portfolio in the DRC included 25 operations valued at approximately $1.5 billion. The investments are concentrated in transport (30.8%), agriculture (30.3%), energy (16.9%), social sectors (12.7%), and other areas (3.96%).
