African Improvement Bank grows metropolitan help program to six new urban communities.

The African Improvement Bank's Metropolitan and Civil Advancement Asset (UMDF) has expanded its African Urban communities Program to include six new cities across the continent. The expansion aims to strengthen urban development and address challenges faced by rapidly growing African cities. The newly added cities include Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Grand Nokoué in Benin, Buffalo City in South Africa, Joal in Senegal, Juba in South Sudan, and Nouakchott in Mauritania. The UMDF will provide funding and technical assistance to these cities to identify transformative infrastructure projects that can attract public and private sector investments. The Bank's ten-year strategy for 2024-2033 emphasizes the importance of urban development, and the UMDF is seen as a catalyst in boosting access to finance for African municipalities. [Extracted from the article]