The African Development Bank (AfDB) has called on world leaders and other relevant stakeholders to increase their financing to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The bank made the call at the just concluded 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings in New York.
Speaking during the meeting, the President of the AfDB Group, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, who led the bank’s delegation to the meetings said that the bank’s engagements reflected its strategic priorities as African countries struggle with the lingering impacts of climate change.
Adesina said “Africa is suffering, Africa is choking and is in serious financial distress for what it did not cause. There must be a greater sense of urgency, not in talking, but in doing and delivering resources that the continent needs very desperately.”
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He said that there was the need to restructure economies to become productive with education, infrastructure and energy, and ensure there are productive sectors that can use people’s skills and absorb them into the economy.
Adesina also led a delegation of the bank to the World Health Organisation (WHO) for meetings on the sidelines of the General Assembly and the two organisations agreed to work together to among other things, tackle climate change-related challenges.
The AFDB boss also held bilateral meetings with Kenya’s new President, William Ruto; American billionaire and philanthropist, Michael Bloomberg; former U.S. President, Bill Clinton, and his wife, Hillary.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
