Strategy revealed for African Natural Resources Center

Following consultation with stakeholders, the African Development Bank has approved the 6-year strategy of the African Natural Resources Center (ANRC). The strategy spells out the ANRC’s approach to assisting governments in their management of the opportunities and challenges posed by natural resources management. It proposes two pillars: a) integrated natural resource development planning to protect the environment through sustainable development; and b) good governance of natural resources to support negotiations, local content and transparency through public participation.

The ANRC will focus on upstream natural resources management. This means that the Center’s programme will focus on the raw material stage that includes project development but excludes processing and post processing stages. From a governance perspective this embodies provision of advice on policies laws and institutional frameworks that regulate projects at the raw material stage, including policies that tackle challenges relating to promoting vertical and horizontal linkages.

The ANRC will have an internal and external focus and will operate at country and regional levels. Internally, it will leverage the Bank’s brand, regional outreach and experience in delivering projects to deepen internal expertise on renewables policy matters while expanding knowledge on non-renewables.

Externally, it will assist RMCs and RECs to increase economic deliverables from resources exploitation by building institutional capacity, providing policy advice, offering strategic guidance on investment choices and delivering technical assistance on regulatory matters. To build capacity to deliver programs, the ANRC will partner with other institutions to jointly deliver support programs using its knowledge and advocacy tools.

The strategy proposes innovative governance and funding models, which combine different expertise across the Bank and among stakeholders, as well as blending different sources of finance.

Adapted from press release by Katherine Guenioui

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/africa-middle-east/13072015/strategy-revealed-for-african-natural-resources-center-151/