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World Bank Document IDA and Africa: Partnering for Development IDA and Africa: Partnering for Development Sans Poverty One Dream. One Mission. www.worldbank.org FOCUS ON AFRICA - APRIL 2007, ISSUE 3 Public Disclosure Authorized Liberia | Ghana Celebrates | The World Bank in Africa| IDA in Africa| Ask the Expert| News Published by the North American Affairs team, Sans Poverty highlights World Bank projects, policies and programs. We aim to make it a concise, interesting and informative to read. We welcome your comments. Please email us at [email protected] or [email protected]. LIBERIA'S PRESIDENT AFFIRMS STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH BANK, URGES WOMEN TO STRIVE FOR LEADERSHIP March 28, 2006— During her recent visit to the United States, and World Bank Headquarters in Washington, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, hailed the strong partnership Liberia enjoys with the World Bank, Public Disclosure Authorized outlined some benchmarks for Liberia’s development goals, and urged women to strive for higher levels of responsibility and leadership. President Johnson-Sirleaf met with World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, who pledged the Bank’s support for resolving the issue of Liberia’s debt to the Bank, and continued support for pre-arrears President Johnson-Sirleaf welcomed by clearance. President Wolfowitz | Photo:© World Bank “We are very pleased with the strong support which we are receiving from the Bank and President Wolfowitz,” she said. “The Bank is already a very strong partner with Liberia and is helping us in some of our Public Disclosure Authorized infrastructure work and the review of some of the concession agreement that will lead to better management of our own resources. We hope they will now be able to help us develop a strategy to achieve our development goals,” said President Sirleaf-Johnson. Read More GHANA AT 50 CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE KUMASI, GHANA, March 6, 2007 – An estimated 1,200 people gathered at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana’s second biggest city, on Monday March 5, 2007, eve of Ghana’s 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration. Public Disclosure Authorized Addressing the gathering, which consisted of students, faculty, CSOs, private sector, media, and government and local government officials, World Bank President, Paul Wolfowitz said in his keynote message that Ghana’s good record of recent years should be no cause for complacency. Photo:© Philip Jespersen / World Bank Mr. Wolfowitz noted that “just as China and Korea managed to defeat Oriental fatalism and become http://newsletters.worldbank.org/...7873&theSitePK=3177857&pagePK=64133601&contentMDK=21292493&piPK=64129599[10/30/2009 3:12:49 PM] IDA and Africa: Partnering for Development economic role models, Ghana too has the potential to sprint ahead on the path to higher standard of development.” He asked Ghanaian leaders to scale up action on private sector competitiveness, infrastructure, and on ensuring sustained good governance. Read more Back to Top THE WORLD BANK IN AFRICA Reforms and a more peaceful environment have translated into expanded economic activities across the African continent. Yet, - more than 314 million Africans live on less than $1 a day—nearly twice as many as in 1981. - the continent is home to 34 of the world's 48 poorest countries and 24 of the 32 countries ranked lowest in human development in 2006. - the HIV/AIDS pandemic costs Africa 1 percentage point of per capita growth a year, while malaria kills about 2,800 Africans a day. The World Bank is the largest provider of development assistance to Africa, and it has increased its support dramatically in the past five years. International Development Association (IDA) commitments of US$3.9 billion in fiscal 2005 represented an increase of more than 80 percent compared to 2000, and disbursements of US$4 billion, more than double the 2000 figure. Through the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (PDF, 37 KB) Africa will also benefit from a total of US$28.9 billion of relief. The Bank’s strategy is anchored in the Africa Action Plan. The Plan makes specific commitments, such as increased financial support for free primary education in 15 countries and more funding for roads, power, and other infrastructure. It also proposes an expansion of the Bank’s Malaria Booster Program by 150 percent in 17 countries, and foresees an increase of lending support for HIV/AIDS programs in 10 countries, as well as greater investment towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Priorities of the plan include: - Expanding growth, trade and economic competitiveness - Regional projects and regional integration - Reducing and mitigating violent conflicts - Building capable states and improving governance - Promoting private sector-led growth and job creation. Visit www.worldbank.org/africa Back to Top IDA IN AFRICA The International Development Association (IDA) is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. Established in 1960, IDA aims to reduce poverty by providing interest-free loans and grants for programs that boost economic growth, reduce inequalities and improve people’s living conditions. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 82 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. It is the single largest source of donor funds for basic social services in the poorest countries.Since its inception, IDA credits and grants have totaled US$161 billion, averaging US$7–9 billion a year in recent years and directing the largest share, about 50 percent, to Africa. In Ghana, the construction of 8,000 classroom blocks and the publishing of 35 million textbooks raised school attendance and outcomes. In Sierra Leone, IDA-financed recovery programs helped consolidate the peace and deliver tangible http://newsletters.worldbank.org/...7873&theSitePK=3177857&pagePK=64133601&contentMDK=21292493&piPK=64129599[10/30/2009 3:12:49 PM] IDA and Africa: Partnering for Development dividends to the population. The top three IDA borrowers in Africa for FY06 were Ehiopia (USD 505 million), Nigeria (USD 422 million) and Congo (DRC) (USD 365 million). IDA in Tanzania In March 2007, Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete, spoke to a World Bank reporter about the impact of IDA in his country. President Kikwete talked passionately about the role of IDA in helping Tanzania meet its development goals: "IDA has been almost everything. [...] No single institution has extended to us as much development assistance as the World Bank has done and IDA, the concessional arm, has been tremendous in terms of giving us their support. "In many of the major programs that we have undertaken, there has been a significant participation of the World Bank, [including in] the Integrated Road Development Program, in the energy sector, [in] all the major power stations that we developed[...], in the Primary Sector Education Program, and now the Secondary School Education Program. [...] We are continuing to act [together in] the water sector. As I said, [IDA] has been almost everything." President Kikwete urged for continuing adequate replenishment of IDA: "If IDA is replenished well we are seeing more support, because we still need a lot of support, definitely. We have not reached a point where we can say that we don’t need much support," he said. IDA in Burkina Faso In Burkina Faso, 80 percent of the population live in rural areas, 51 percent of the rural population live below the poverty line (versus 16 percent of the urban population) and food crop producers account for 75 percent of the rural poor. Rural development would not just reduce poverty, but has the greatest potential to stimulate growth through agricultural micro-projects. Between 2000 and 2007, the International In Burkina's Poor Rural Areas, Paving the Way Development Association has contributedUS$66.7 for Decentralization | 2000-2007 World Bank million, including US$39 million distributed to community-level investments. IDA supported the participatory effort to draft the 2004 decentralization law that establishes more than 300 local government bodies-the rural communes. The Association continues to provide the global expertise to implement a large-scale community-driven development program and the technical expertise to help Burkina Faso build new local institutions. By supporting the Community Based Rural Development Project, IDA helped the government create new municipalities and provided direct funding for community-driven investments. - 302 rural communes have been established and elections for local officials have been held. Half of Burkina’s villages have established village committees and built local capacity for planning, implementation and monitoring. - 1,700 community wells have been constructed, providing nearly half a million (450,000) inhabitants with the norm of 20 liters of safe water per person per day. - 600 literacy centers have been established to allow an average of 30,000 adults per year to achieve literacy by reading and writing in their local languages. - Advocacy and skills for protecting the environment and improving soil fertility have been emphasized. Among micro-projects: 75,000 'manure sinks' producing an average of around 370,000 tons of organic fertilizer per year; 28,000 hectares of land protected through anti-erosion measures. - Specialized training has been given to promote income-generating activities such as dry-season irrigated agriculture, fish farming, small-scale livestock and forestry management. http://newsletters.worldbank.org/...7873&theSitePK=3177857&pagePK=64133601&contentMDK=21292493&piPK=64129599[10/30/2009 3:12:49 PM] IDA and Africa: Partnering for Development Read More Back to Top ASK THE EXPERT - JOHN DONALDSON, AFRICA REGION Ask the Expert section is your opportunity to pose important questions to a World Bank expert. Each month a different expert will be featured. Selected questions and responses will be published in next month's newsletter. John Donaldson has been with the World Bank for 13 years, and currently works in the Africa Region, where he provides advice and support for communications and External Affairs activities for the Region.
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