Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (ADB) Group, has emphasized the crucial need for significant political commitment to initiate construction on the Inga 3 dam project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This ambitious project has the potential to address the power needs of numerous countries across central and southern Africa.
During a recent meeting with the Board of Directors of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), led by Chairman Ebrahim Rasool, Adesina stressed the importance of political coordination to move forward with the long-discussed Inga 3 dam project.
“We have been talking about Inga 3 for many years… What we need is political coordination,” Adesina said.
He highlighted South Africa’s persistent energy challenges and how Inga 3 could alleviate its energy shortage, positively impacting the country’s economic performance.
“While South Africa is Africa’s largest industralized economy, it continues to face challenges in its energy sector, causing a drop in its industrial output, contracting of the GDP and job creation, and this is also having an impact on the region,” said Adesina.
President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa had previously raised the issue at a global summit, emphasizing the urgency of financing the Inga 3 project to benefit up to 12 to 15 countries in the region.
Adesina reiterated the call for tangible financial commitments to support this transformative endeavor.
The African Development Bank is actively involved in financing energy projects in the region, including the Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric project in Mozambique, which aims to alleviate electricity shortages in South Africa by generating 1,500 megawatts of power.
Adesina affirmed the Bank’s commitment to collaborating with DBSA and other partners to address South Africa’s energy challenges and facilitate its transition from coal to clean energy.
Accompanying Adesina were key Bank officials, including Senior Vice President Swazi Tshabalala, Vice President for Power, Climate and Green Growth Dr. Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization Solomon Quaynor, and Vice President for Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade.