The African Development Bank (AfDB) has recently signed with the Zambian government an aide-memoire on modalities, for the organization of the AfDB 2016 Annual Meetings 2016, scheduled to take place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Zambia’s capital Lusaka between May 23rd and 27th, 2016.
The document was signed by AfDB Acting Vice President and Secretary General, Mr. Olivier Pinzi, and Zambia’s Secretary to the Treasury, Mr. Fredson Yamba, after the AfDB’s delegation concluded its visit to the country on January 26th, 2016.
The event will be focused on the theme “Energy and Climate Change” which is within the top 5 bank’s priorities in its program “Light up and Power Africa”.
The AfDB delegation is satisfied with the progress Zambian authorities have achieved in the preparations to host the meeting in terms of conference facilities, accommodation and procurements required for such event, however, it is planned to undertake a second visit in March, 2016, to assess further progress, explained Mr. Pinzi.
The annual meeting is AfDB’s flagship event and it is expected that more than 5,000 people between delegates and participants will attend it, reason why Zambia started preparations in June, 2015, to ensure that visitors will be well serviced and that the country will be well marketed to investors and financers.
According to Zambia’s Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda, the AfDB annual meeting represents huge economic benefits for the country since the foreign exchange participants will bring, support job creation in the hospitality, transport, language translation, catering, and information communication technology industries.
