Guinea

Guinée forestière, forêt — Guinée forestière © Nicolas Beaumont / AFD

Located on the west coast of Africa, the region's "water tower" is endowed with exceptional natural capital. But Guinea has not started its demographic transition and has been hit hard by the Ebola epidemic. Much remains to be done to meet the main challenge: to improve the population's access to essential services. AFD supports the country in this ambition. It is also one of the main donors in the education sector there.

Context

Guinea, which is located on the west coast of Africa, is exceptionally rich with natural capital, especially in the mining sector (bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron, manganese, zinc and cobalt).
The country, with a population of 13.5 million, has not yet started its demographic transition. The number of children per woman is over 5 and almost half of the population is under 15 years of age. As a result, there is a lot of pressure on the education system and job market. Poverty and low life expectancy are major issues, especially in rural areas.

Furthermore, Guinea's economy is torn between development and environmental preservation. The country's fertile soil is both an asset and a threat, especially considering the resulting deforestation.

Guinea's main challenge: the population's access to basic social services (education, healthcare, water, energy). This is not to mention the impact of the Ebola epidemic, which severely weakened the country's economy.

Guinea is a priority company for French aid. AFD, which has been present since 1979 and is acknowledged as a key partner, is mobilising its entire set of tools: debt relief and development contract (C2D), loans, bank guarantees, training programmes, etc.

AFD's Guinea office is directly attached to t he Guf of Guinea regional office in Abidjan.

Our approach

"AFD and Guinea: tackling poverty and supporting a well-balanced growth"

Despite good energy potential, Guinea suffers from an electricity deficit linked to poor infrastructure. This is an essential sector for the country's development and is at the heart of AFD's action.

With some €200 million invested in less than ten years, AFD works to increase the transport and electricity distribution capacity by financing high-voltage lines, reinforcing substations and expanding and securing distribution networks. The objective is to promote a balanced economic development of territories and the reduction of inequalities. AFD has forged a dynamic partnership with the power utility Électricité de Guinée (EDG) and, following projects in Greater Conakry and Maritime Guinea, is planning to invest in the Guinea Forest Region.

We also operate in the water sector where our aim is to reduce technical and commercial losses in Greater Conakry. We are thereby helping the water utility, Société des Eaux de Guinée (SEG), improve its performance and develop its technical and human resources. In addition, the City of Conakry has been investing in structuring its entire solid waste management network for several years. AFD is supporting a landfill project which will address the issue of solid waste disposal.

Developing rural areas is a priority in combating poverty and enabling food sovereignty. AFD is a longstanding partner of Guinea for the implementation of its agricultural policy. Our operations focus on developing irrigated areas, opening up major production areas to facilitate access to local markets, supporting the Agricultural Statistics Service and the national agricultural and livestock census, developing a roadmap for rural land tenure, and supporting high-potential sectors, such as groundnut and rice.

We also support the family fish farming sector and ensure that the projects financed reconcile production and environmental conservation. One example is the project to develop and manage the Ziama Biosphere Reserve.

For 30 years now, we have also been supporting Crédit Rural de Guinée, the leading microfinance institution, to help rural people improve their opportunities for growth and scaling up their activity.

Education and young peoples' access to employment are major challenges facing Guinea today, with a low literacy rate (40%), low quality education, insufficient infrastructure, and training programs poorly adapted to the market's needs.

AFD is a key partner in the education sector and supports the Guinean Government, alongside the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and UNICEF, through the creation of a Common Fund covering the three education sectors.

In the field of vocational training, we assist projects to support vocational training centers and integration schemes. Entrepreneurship support has been added to this system and includes support for women entrepreneurs.

AFD became involved in the health sector following the first Ebola epidemic, by reinforcing the laboratory ecosystem and helping to set up the Institut Pasteur of Guinea. AFD now also invests in hospital hygiene, which includes support for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

New support is also currently being deployed in the sports sector, including for girls, and the culture sector through the “Accès Culture” program.

AFD is a longstanding partner in supporting the decentralization process in Guinea. For example, through the National Agency for Local Government Financing (ANAFIC), it assists local authorities with the implementation of the transferred powers.

At the same time, AFD works to strengthen public finance management and mobilize domestic resources. To assist the “State reform”, support is also currently being provided for the public service reform. The objective is to rejuvenate and feminize the institutions receiving support.