UMDF of the African Development Bank and ICEX Spain Trade and Investment work together to promote sustainable urban development in Africa | African Development Bank Group

Mrs. María Peña Mateos, CEO of ICEX Spain Trade and Investment of the Kingdom of Spain, and Stefan Atchia, Manager of the Urban Development Department, sign a partnership agreement to mobilize the expertise of the Spanish private sector for African cities. Abidjan, Ivory Coast, June 14, 2023.

ICEX Spain Trade and Investment and the African Development Bank have signed a partnership agreement to consolidate Spanish private sector involvement in urban development in Africa. Specifically, the agreement will promote cooperation between the Spanish business entity and the Urban and Municipal Development Fund (UMDF), a multi-donor trust fund managed by the African Development Bank.

The Spanish public agency will mobilize Spanish expertise for African cities, including reciprocal participation in events, data sharing and knowledge sharing.

The agreement was made on the sidelines of the “Jornadas Multilaterales”, an event promoting dialogue between Spanish entrepreneurs and Ivorian economic actors, organized by ICEX in Abidjan, Ivory Coast this month. During the event, questions about sustainable urban development were the focus of a panel discussion.

“The bank is very pleased with the Spanish-African partnership, in particular the cooperation between ICEX and the UMDF, in support of urban infrastructure project development and planning,” said Stefan Atchia, manager of the bank’s Urban Development Department, who signed on behalf of the institution.

María Peña Mateos, CEO of ICEX, commented: “Spain has a lot of experience in innovation and technology for urban services, which we want to make available to African cities. In addition, the memorandum agreed to facilitate the participation of the African Development Bank in the Smart Cities Expo World Congress, to be held in Barcelona in November, to learn more about the objectives and technologies related to urban development, inclusiveness and sustainability. ”

The signed partnership document, according to the terms, would form the basis for a long-term alignment of interests between the two parties.

The Urban and Municipal Development Fund promotes sustainable, resilient and inclusive urban planning in the Bank’s member countries. The fund facilitates the financing and implementation of infrastructure projects across Africa. It highlights the crucial role of private sector expertise and funding in filling the important gap in services and urban infrastructure in African cities.

ICEX is engaged in promoting the participation of Spanish companies in projects promoting sustainable development. The firm acts as a prescriber and public agency on sustainable internationalization, believing that internationalization can and should be part of the solution to the great global development challenge, by driving innovation as a catalyst for more inclusive and sustainable products and processes.