(3 Minutes Read)
The African Development Bank Group has celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Policy and Human Resource Development Grant (PHRDG), a bilateral trust fund created by Japan in 1994. The initiative has contributed significantly to developing Africa’s human capital, supporting over 100 transformational projects across various sectors.
Dr Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank Group, noted three decades of successful collaboration, the impactful projects funded by the Policy and Human Resource Development Grant, and the critical role the grant has played in Africa’s socioeconomic development. Adesina commended Japan for its strong support of the African Development Fund, noting that it has delivered impressive results.
Over the past three decades, Japan has contributed USD 37.4 million to the PHRDG, supporting 107 projects, with 96 completed and 11 ongoing as of September 2024. In recent years, the trust fund has seen a notable increase in contributions, underscoring Japan’s renewed commitment to fostering a climate-smart, resilient, inclusive, and integrated Africa.
Japan’s Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Atsushi Mimura, said he was pleased the country’s partnership with the African Development Bank Group was going well. He pledged continued support, particularly for the African Development Fund, the private sector, and Japanese and African start-ups. Mimura described the African Development Bank Group’s partnership with the World Bank’s plan to bring electricity to 300 million Africans (Mission 300) as a powerful narrative that draws attention to the continent’s energy needs.
Since its establishment, the PHRDG has been a vehicle for Japan to share its expertise and experience in human resource development, empowering Africans to lead the transformation of their societies and economies. The grant has supported a wide range of projects aligned with Japan and the African Development Bank Group’s shared objective of human capital development. Officials said the projects have laid the groundwork for accelerated economic growth in Africa. Among the most impactful PHRDG-funded initiatives is the Japan-Africa Dream Scholarship Program (JADS), launched in 2017. This program aims to develop Africa’s human capital by offering scholarships to high-achieving African students for master’s studies in fields such as agriculture, development economics, energy, and public health.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/afdb-urges-japanese-investors-to-partner-with-african-partners/
As the Policy and Human Resource Development Grant enters its fourth decade, the African Development Bank Group and Japan have expressed eagerness to expand their partnership. With six new projects in the 2024–2025 pipeline, including initiatives in higher education, debt management, and climate-smart agriculture, the trust fund remains a critical tool for delivering impact across Africa, officials said. Graduates of the JADS program have gone on to make significant contributions to their home countries.
