EABC, AfDB to drive inclusive industrialisation

ARUSHA: THE East African Business Council (EABC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have launched a new project aimed at accelerating sustainable and inclusive industrialisation across the East African Community (EAC), marking a major step toward boosting regional economic growth and job creation.

The two-day meeting, held from last Thursday, marked the official kickoff of the project, which aims to boost regional industrial competitiveness and promote value addition in key manufacturing priority chains, including edible oils, textiles and leather. The project is titled ‘Accelerating Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialisation in the EAC’.

EABC Acting Executive Director, Mr Adrian Njau, hailed the AfDB for supporting the project, underscoring its significance in driving industrial transformation across the EAC.

“The project will harmonise regional trade instruments, promote value addition in priority value chains, enhance export competitiveness and attract investment thereby boosting the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP and creating job opportunities for youths,” he said.

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Mr Njau reaffirmed EABC’s commitment to ensuring that the project delivers impactful results contributing to economic growth, regional competitiveness and shared prosperity.

Trade Facilitation Officer at AfDB, Gerald Ajumbo commended EABC’s leadership for conceptualising and bringing the project to fruition.

He reiterated AfDB’s commitment to promoting regional integration, emphasising that the launch served as an important platform for exchange and alignment on project monitoring, evaluation and implementation work plan to ensure compliance with best practices.

As part of the launch, AfDB officials conducted detailed technical sessions to strengthen EABC’s understanding of the Bank’s operational and fiduciary requirements, focusing on disbursement, financial management and procurement compliance.

The project aligns with EABC’s mission to foster a conducive business environment and sustainable, private sector–driven growth, as well as AfDB’s commitment to scale up and accelerate industrialisation through the manufacturing sector across Africa by 2033, in line with the Bank Group’s Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033) and the “Integrate Africa” High 5 Vision.