In order to achieve inclusive development for Africa, the African Development Bank has identified five priority areas (High 5s) that will guide  its Ten-Year Strategy (2013-2022).They are: Light up and power Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa. With regard to regional integration, the Bank Group's vision focuses on building a stable, integrated and prosperous continent comprised of competitive and diversified countries, with sustainable economies fully active in global trade and investments.
As part of its support to regional integration in Central Africa, the Bank contributes to the financing of several national and multinational infrastructure and capacity-building projects, as set out in the Regional Integration Strategy Paper adopted in April 2011. The main pillars of the strategy are the: (i) development of regional infrastructure; and (ii) institutional capacity building of the Regional Economic Communities. Over the period 2008-2016, the Bank approved 39 regional integration operations for a total amount of UA 992,23 million for the Central Africa region. Twenty operations representing 55.9% of the approvals were approved between 2008 and 2011, and 19 representing 44.10% of the approvals between 2012 and 2016 when the strategy was being implemented.
Following the evaluation of the East African Regional Integration Strategy in 2016, and in an effort to design its new strategy in Central Africa, IDEV undertook an evaluation of its strategy and regional integration operations in Central Africa for the period 2011-2016. The evaluation was guided by the following key questions:
- To what extent was the strategy most relevant to tackling regional integration obstacles prevailing in Central Africa?
- Have the expected results of the strategy been achieved or not?
- What lessons can be drawn from the experience?
- What recommendations should be made to help the Bank to better formulate its new regional integration strategy for Central Africa?Â
