The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has inked two loan agreements with the Government of Angola, totalling USD 124.4 million, aimed at enhancing access to climate-resilient and sustainable sanitation services in four coastal towns serving a combined population of 1.4 million.
The agreements, signed on Tuesday, include a USD 75 million loan from the African Development Bank a USD 49.4 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF), and a USD 2 billion facility sponsored by the People’s Bank of China and administered by the African Development Bank. The beneficiary towns are Benguela, Baía Farta, Catumbela, and Lobito, all located in western Angola.
Angola’s Finance Minister, Vera Daves de Sousa, and the African Development Bank Country Manager for Angola, Pietro Toigo, formalized the agreements in Luanda, Angola.
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The project area, where these towns are situated, serves as a vital economic and logistics hub for Angola. The project is expected to enhance the health and socioeconomic conditions of the local populations. Access to sanitation services is considered pivotal in meeting the health needs of Angola’s growing population, urbanization, and socioeconomic development.
Minister Vera Daves de Sousa, who represents Angola as the African Development Bank governor, expressed her government’s gratitude for the bank’s multifaceted development efforts in Angola across various sectors.
“We are embarking on a transformative journey, and this historic agreement solidifies our commitment to improving sanitation services and enhancing the living environment, significantly impacting the well-being of our citizens,” she affirmed.
In addition to addressing critical sanitation challenges, the project encompasses the construction of sewage reticulation systems, wastewater and faecal sludge treatment facilities, enhancing sanitation value chains, and capacity building.
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“The Government of Angola took a momentous step forward to promote clean and hygienic living conditions for communities in the four coastal towns. We are delighted to be launching an innovative integrated project that combines elements of infrastructure investment, support to private sector operators, community-led sanitation, and governance to improve the sustainability of public utilities,” Remarked Pietro Toigo
He also emphasized that the project would yield valuable lessons and experiences, moving changes in the sector and facilitating the expansion of similar initiatives nationwide.
The commitment from the African Development Bank to develop sanitation infrastructure is important at a time when only 31 percent of African enjoy access to sanitation services.
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