AfDB signs pacts on green aviation, Niger energy access

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has announced two major agreements aimed at accelerating Africa’s transition to cleaner energy and boosting competitiveness in strategic sectors, a statement from the bank said at the weekend.

In Yokohama, Japan, the Bank signed a Letter of Intent with JGC Corporation, a leading Japanese engineering company, to advance the production and adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on the continent. The agreement was concluded on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in August.

Under the framework, AfDB Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization, Solomon Quaynor, and JGC President, Shoji Yamada, agreed to collaborate on feasibility studies, technology transfer and potential co-financing of SAF projects across Africa. The Bank will coordinate with public sector aviation stakeholders, identify project pipelines and explore financing, while JGC will focus on technical assessments, demand studies and deployment of Japanese engineering solutions.

Quaynor described SAF as “a crucial component of the journey to cutting the continent’s carbon dioxide emissions” and stressed that the initiative could make Africa a pacesetter in green aviation. Yamada added that JGC’s involvement would leverage its expertise in plant engineering and sustainable energy to support Africa’s decarbonisation while stimulating economic growth.

In a separate deal, the AfDB Group signed a $144.7 million financing agreement with Niger to expand electricity access and strengthen economic resilience. The pact, signed in Abidjan between AfDB President Sidi Ould Tah and Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, will provide budgetary support through the Bank’s concessional lending arm, the African Development Fund.

The funds will finance Phase 1 of Niger’s Energy Sector Governance and Competitiveness Support Programme (PAGSEC), which aims to raise electricity access from 22.5 percent to 30 percent by 2026, increase manufacturing’s contribution to GDP, and deliver 240 MW of new solar capacity by 2030.

The programme also targets structural reforms, including stronger fiscal management, domestic arrears clearance, and policies to stimulate private-sector investment. It prioritises social inclusion, with tailored interventions for women, youth, and Niger’s more than 500,000 internally displaced people affected by insecurity in the Sahel.

“This agreement is part of our strong cooperation with the African Development Bank Group,” Prime Minister Zeine said, noting that the support would boost Niger’s competitiveness and resilience.

Ould Tah assured that the Bank would remain a strong partner to its member states in “their pursuit of harmonious development and shared prosperity.”

Together, the two initiatives underscore AfDB’s growing focus on clean energy, industrial competitiveness, and inclusive growth, as African economies seek to align development with climate and social imperatives.