Research

More than 3 billion people live in contexts that are highly vulnerable to climate change (IPCC, 2022). Yet, adapting to the impacts of climate change remains a complex process: multiple sectors as well as a wide range of social,...

Senegal’s Dakar-Diamniadio regional express train, which has received support from AFD, is ready to carry its first passengers. It's the first high-speed train not only in Senegal, but in all of West Africa. Senegalese President Macky Sall and AFD Group CEO Rémy Rioux attended the new line...

Digital technology is playing an increasingly prominent role in Africa’s economic development. In fact, more tech companies are developing across the continent than in the rest of the world. In the approach to the VivaTech technology and start-up event in Paris from June 14 to 17, we interview...

Today, development actors see urban heritage as a resource for their territory, which is why they need to define its economic value. This evaluation is a delicate exercise as such patrimony is generally a complex reality, consisting of four interdependent economic, cultural, social and...

INEDIT is helping 13,000 Senegalese rural dwellers use mobile financial services tailored to their needs. It is implemented by the NGO Oxfam and its partner La Lumière and is contributing to the digital and financial inclusion of vulnerable populations.

On October 6-8 in Paris, the first Création Africa forum for cultural and creative industries (CCI) will feature fast-growing sectors such as TV series, animation, video games, and comics. How does AFD Group support industry professionals and help new talent emerge? We find out.

The current development of African education systems focuses on the perspective of universal completion of six years of schooling. This perspective, targeted by the international community for the year 2015 (Dakar declaration, Millennium Development Goals), will no doubt be reached by a number of...

The Greater Sahel region was once a prosperous region in Africa. The region is clearly defined by its geography and climate. It also has the lowest GDP per capita of all the six African regions identified by AFD. Over the past...

Close to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, according to the UN, which has made the need to protect biodiversity all the more urgent. AFD Group is convinced that biodiversity conservation and the fight against climate change go hand in hand, as we contribute to efforts to restore nature across...

In the north of the peanut basin, the arid climate limits the efficiency of fertilization too much for it to be relevant to intensify grain production. It is more legitimate to support the groundnut sector, or even to develop other legumes with a shorter cycle (cowpeas). In the rest of the basin...

The first edition of the Digital Energy Challenge launched by the Agence française de développement named eight award winners for their contribution to the modernization and improvement of the energy sector. For the first call for projects, sub-Saharan Africa was in the spotlight.

It is now a widely recognised fact in the economic literature that the level of per capita income and the degree of sectoral concentration of economic activity evolve together over the long term. The empirical research of Imbs and Wacziarg (2003) has notably shown that production diversification...

Senegal will host the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar from March 21 to 26. For Céline Robert, head of AFD's Water and Sanitation Division, this event should help re-mobilize the international community on the many issues tied to water, its quality and accessibility.

Urban growth and industrialization in Hann Bay in Dakar have led to devastating pollution. For the bustling West African capital, the ramifications of the daily influx of industrial effluents and domestic waste are immense, affecting residents’ health, the fishing and tourism industries, the...

The digitalization of the world is leading to production of mass data, or “big data”, which is drastically changing the economy. Utilization of this data, which are sometimes of a personal nature, is raising questions among the public. By financing Project OPAL, AFD wants to show that secured...

This paper investigates the impact of regional migration on average wages and wage inequality in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). We exploit a unique data from a unified labour force household survey which covers natives and migrants in the seven economic capitals of the...

In the approach to the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal’s capital city will also host the first ever sport and development summit on African soil. From November 5-7, the Sport Impact Summit will facilitate interaction between young people and top-level athletes, as well as a wide range...