Leaders from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) met in Abidjan to discuss enhancing their collaboration on migration and development across Africa.
On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, Vice President of the African Development Bank Group, met with Amy Pope, Director General of the IOM. Their discussions focused on fostering closer collaboration between the two institutions in the areas of migration and development in Africa.
The meeting, held at the AfDB headquarters in Abidjan, explored the possibility of a formal partnership between the two organizations, building on successful past collaborations, including a joint report on migration and development in Africa published in 2023.
Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade praised the quality of the relationship between the Bank and the UN agency. "We already have a rich and productive relationship with IOM. As we discuss a potential formal agreement, we want to adopt a more targeted and concrete approach, fully leveraging our combined strengths to demonstrate that well-managed migration can benefit all parties involved," she emphasized.
“Our goal in collaborating more closely with the African Development Bank is to go beyond just responding to migration,” said IOM’s Director General Amy Pope. “We want to work together to ensure people can move safely and with dignity, allowing them to take part in their own development solutions and contribute to their countries' progress,” she added.
This opportunity for closer collaboration comes as African countries face increasing impacts from climate change and the rapid growth of the youth population—two factors likely to shape migration trends. Migration across the Atlantic, for example, has increased by 150% in recent years, according to Sylvia Lopez-Ekra. By combining IOM’s migration expertise with the AfDB’s capacity to mobilize funding and resources, the financial institution will be better positioned to address these interlinked challenges.
“We fund many projects in infrastructure and regional integration. The perspective IOM brings helps us create projects with even greater outcomes than we would have achieved without this collaboration,” said Akin-Olugbade.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of considering climate change as a key driver of migration when planning projects. The two leaders also discussed the pros and cons of skilled labor migration in search of better opportunities.
Both the Vice President of the AfDB and the IOM Director General agreed that closer collaboration should focus on knowledge and data sharing, conducting joint policy research, and designing projects that address the root causes of migration, especially climate change and job creation deficits.
In addition to the Vice President, the AfDB was represented by Catherine Baumont-Keita, Director of the Office of the Vice President and Head of the Operations Management Department, Gauthier Bourlard, Director and Special Advisor to the AfDB President, Oscar Pitti Rivera, Senior Operations Advisor, and other staff members.
The IOM delegation included Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, Regional Director for West and Central Africa, David Preux, Head of Mission for Côte d'Ivoire, and Bawele Tchalim, Head of the Regional Office.
The meeting was part of the official visit of IOM’s Director General to Côte d'Ivoire, where she also met with government officials and development partners.
Source: African Development Bank, IOM, Web Editorial Team
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