The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has concluded a four-day intensive workshop in Kinshasa aimed at significantly strengthening project management and improving the performance of Bank-financed operations across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The training, held from September 8 to 11, 2025, was organized by the African Development Institute and the Bank’s fiduciary departments, in collaboration with the Country Office. It brought together key representatives from government ministries, the Court of Auditors, and project implementation teams directly involved in managing the AfDB’s portfolio.
Commitment to Accountability and Effectiveness
The workshop focused on transferring knowledge regarding the AfDB’s specific rules, procedures, and best practices. This move is part of the Bank’s broader strategy to enhance efficiency and accountability within its funded projects. As of September 1, 2025, the Bank Group’s portfolio in the DRC comprised 25 active operations valued at approximately $1.5 billion, with major investments concentrated in transport (30.8%), agriculture (30.3%), and energy (16.9%).
Mohamed Coulibaly, the Bank’s acting Country Manager in the DRC, said the training course will help strengthen accountability, transparency and project effectiveness by transferring knowledge about the Bank’s rules, procedures and best practices.
Alain K. Malata, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Finance, stressed the importance of commitment: “The quality of your commitment during this workshop will be decisive in improving the performance of the national portfolio.”
Enduring Benefits of Capacity Building
Participants engaged in practical sessions covering vital aspects of project execution, including financial management, procurement, monitoring and evaluation, and results-based management. The format also allowed for critical exchanges of experiences and best practices among peers.
Ann Sow Dao, Division Manager for Programme Management at the African Development Institute, noted that investing in capacity building to improve portfolio performance represents a high-impact intervention with enduring benefits for operational quality.
The project implementation teams involved reported direct benefits from the tailored training. Jean Luemba Lukumbu, Coordinator of the National Road 1 Renovation Project, said: “We gained new knowledge about the standards and methodologies required to ensure effective project implementation.”
Ruth Mpata Ndaya, an administrative and financial assistant for the Ngandajika Agro-Industrial Development Support Programme (PRODAN), noted: “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 and lessons learned from the workshop will be integrated into the Bank’s ongoing portfolio management activities in the DRC, aiming to ensure better project delivery and development outcomes.
