Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
Ghana will host the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group 2022 Annual Meetings from May 23 -27 in its capital, Accra.
This year’s meetings mark a return to in-person sessions following virtual meetings over the last two years due to disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The meetings, according to a statement on Monday, will be held in a hybrid format with participants present in Accra and online.
The physical sessions, including statutory meetings of governors of the bank and knowledge events, will take place at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The theme for the 2022 meetings is Achieving Climate Resilience and a Just Energy Transition for Africa.
The meetings will offer bank governors a forum to share the climate change and energy transition challenges that their countries face. They also present an opportunity to showcase policy responses to tackle these challenges.
The governors, who represent the institution’s 54 African and 27 non-regional member countries, will hold a high-level dialogue with the President of the bank, Mr Akinwumi Adesina and his senior management team.
The discussions will focus on how to boost funding for climate adaptation and related matters.
Climate adaptation finance currently accounts for only 10 per cent of global climate finance. Overall, only about 19 per cent of total international adaptation finance is programmed in Africa, with the continent receiving only 3 per cent of global climate finance flows.
This year’s theme aligns with preparations for the United Nations’ global climate summit (COP27), scheduled for Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in November 2022.
It will highlight Africa’s need for increased investment and other forms of financing to accelerate climate adaptation efforts.
The 2022 African Development Bank Group Annual Meetings will be the 57th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Bank Group and the 48th Annual Meeting of the African Development Fund, the concessional arm of the Bank Group.
