AfDB strengthens project management capacity in DRC as it wraps up workshop

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) (www.AfDB.org) has wrapped up a four-day workshop in Kinshasa aimed at strengthening project management and boosting 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 Country Office. It brought together officials from key ministries, the Court of Auditors, and project implementation units.

Opening the workshop, Mohamed Coulibaly, the Bank’s Acting Country Manager in the DRC, emphasised that the programme would enhance accountability, transparency, and project effectiveness by transferring knowledge of the Bank’s rules, procedures, and best practices.

Alain K. Malata, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Finance, underlined the importance of commitment, saying: “The quality of your commitment during this workshop will be decisive in improving the performance of the national portfolio.”

Ann Sow Dao, Division Manager for Programme Management at the African Development Institute, highlighted the Bank’s strategy, noting that investment in capacity building to strengthen portfolio performance is a high-impact intervention with lasting benefits for operational quality.

Participants engaged in hands-on sessions covering financial management, procurement, monitoring and evaluation, and results-based management. They also exchanged experiences and best practices to sharpen project delivery.

Jean Luemba Lukumbu, Coordinator of the National Road 1 Renovation Project (https://apo-opa.co/425Var1), described the training as invaluable: “We gained new knowledge about the standards and methodologies required to ensure effective project implementation.”

Ruth Mpata Ndaya, Administrative and Financial Assistant for the Ngandajika Agro-Industrial Development Support Programme (PRODAN) (https://apo-opa.co/4mwLqNE), added: “This workshop strengthened my skills in results-based project management, strategic planning and quality management, which I will share with my colleagues to achieve better results.”

Recommendations from the workshop will be mainstreamed into the Bank’s ongoing portfolio management activities in the DRC.

As of 1 September 2025, the African Development Bank Group’s active portfolio in the country comprised 25 operations worth approximately $1.5 billion. Investments are concentrated in transport (30.8%), agriculture (30.3%), energy (16.9%), social sectors (12.7%) and other sectors (3.96%).