Agence française de développement in Eastern Africa

Historic weekend for Agence Française de Développement in East Africa as France reaffirmed its strong ties of cooperation with Ethiopia and Djibouti: In #Ethiopia, 6 years after President Emmanuel Macron committed to supporting the restoration of major national heritage sites; the newly renovated Jubilee Palace was inaugurated by Prime Minister of Ethiopia H.E Abiy Ahmed, in the presence of President Macron Présidence de la République. Thanks to a €25M grant from AFD and technical assistance provided by Expertise France, the #JubileePalace which was the final residence of the last Negusa Nagast, Emperor Hailé Selassié, has been transformed into 3 museums that will soon be open to the public. https://lnkd.in/eabkxXFx Futhermore, #GroupeAFD CEO Rémy Rioux signed a €25M budget support agreement with H.E Ahmed Shidé towards Ethiopia's ambitious Homegrown Economic Reforms program (HGER 2) which builds on a collaboration started in 2019 with the Ministry of Finance, Ethiopia , Ethiopian Investment Holdings, National Bank of Ethiopia. In #Djibouti, Jean-Noël Barrot French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ministère des Affaires étrangères français, and Remy Rioux signed 2 financing agreements with Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Minister of the Economy and Finance in charge of Industry. Later, H.E Barrot, Remy Rioux, Jeremie Pellet, Ambassade de France à Djibouti visited construction of the Douda treatment plant alongside Djiboutian partners Mohamed Ahmed Awaleh, Minister of Agriculture and the DG of #ONEAD Mohamed Fouad. Rémy Rioux, Jeremie Pellet and AFD Regional Director ARNAL Jean-françois wished the Djibouti Agency a happy 50 years anniversary while congratulating country director Eric de Guerpel for the quality of work implemented alongside Djiboutian partners. DG Remy Rioux also took the opportunity to bid farewell to staff Hasna Omar and Saada Abrar who are leaving the agency.  Embassy of France in Ethiopia Louis-Antoine Souchet Anne Chapalain Eric de Guerpel Daher Osman Karieh Chloé Polony Léa Turpain

Our Regional Director Mr. ARNAL Jean-françois was recently on mission in #Rwanda, here is a highlight of events during the trip: Mr. Arnal met with Yusuf Murangwa, Minister- Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. They both expressed their satisfaction about the excellent level of cooperation between Rwanda and France, through AFD projects, perfectly aligned with the commitments taken by Presidents Kagame and Macron. Mr. Arnal also met with Patrice Mugenzi, Rwanda's Minister of Local Government (Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC) to explore ways of strengthening various current interventions and defining areas of cooperation in the future. During a lunch with the CEO of Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) PLC, Kampeta Pitchette Sayinzoga, Mr. Arnal reinforced AFD's commitment to support BRD in achieving its strategic targets on climate finance and ESG (environmental, social & governance). Mr. Arnal held discussions with the CEO of Agaciro Development Fund, Ulrich Kayinamura, CFA, FRM, on Rwanda's sovereign fund and its role in realizing the country's ambition of a greener, climate resilient economy. Mr. Arnal attended the launch event  for the Initiative on Health led by Expertise France, under Rwanda's 4x4 Health Strategy. During a discussion with Rwanda's Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Mr. Arnal emphasized that AFD was pleased to be supporting the Ruhengeri Hospital Project, a symbolic partnership of both Rwanda and France’s commitment towards #healthcare. At another site, Mr. Arnal visited construction of a #maternity ward at Kibagabaga hospital that will house 194 beds and 58 incubators. Mr. Arnal visited a bridge in Kamonyi built under the Pro-Poor Development (PPD)-Basketfund implemented by The Local Administrative Entities Development Agency (LODA). Agence Française de Développement contributes to a multi-donor PPD-Basket that finances local projects according to the needs and demands directly expressed by the local population in the country's poorest districts. This project, among others financed through this program, has a huge beneficial impact for the populations. https://lnkd.in/dRvkt-WJ Mr. Arnal also toured a school supported by AFD under the Isonga school sports project - https://lnkd.in/dVXfxayF, paving the way for a fruitful partnership with the FIFA in Rwanda. Compliments to the AFD Rwanda Agency Arthur Germond and France's Ambassador to Rwanda H.E Antoine Anfré for organizing and facilitating this visit!

Agence Française de Développement Kenya director Anne-Gael Chapuis-Mirol represented #France in championing for affordable and sustainable housing, as member states gathered in Nairobi this week for UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) 1st global intergovernmental meeting on adequate housing 🏘️ AFD’s Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) is currently deployed in eight countries globally, including #Kenya, #Uganda and #Rwanda to help improve conditions in precarious neighborhoods while building new high-quality housing for residents. https://lnkd.in/dqjmCN6y Melissa Hamdidouche

We are excited to announce the signing of two major agreements between the Government of Tanzania (Ministry of Finance-Tanzania) and the Agence Française de Développement : 🔋The Shinyanga 150MW Solar Photovoltaic Plant, located at the Kishapu site, will be Tanzania’s first industrial-scale solar plant (and the second largest photovoltaic plant in Africa). With a 150MW capacity, it will reduce emissions by 45,000 tCO2 annually, contribute to rural electrification, and modernize the energy grid. A key highlight of the project is its focus on increasing 👩🔬 women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers through targeted internships and leadership training. 🌳 Tanzania’s Mangrove & Forest Plantation Project, led by the Tanzanian Forest Services Agency (TFS), will enhance forest plantation productivity on over 22,500 Hectares, to reduce the reliance on vulnerable natural forest ecosystems while fostering sustainable livelihoods for local communities. The project will also strengthen ecological management in the mangrove forests of Kilwa and Rufiji, which cover 76,000 hectares of vital coastal land, in partnership with the European Union. Céline ROBERT #SustainableDevelopment #RenewableEnergy #SolarEnergy #ClimateAction #Tanzania #AFD #PartnershipsForProgress #MangroveConservation #EnvironmentalSustainability

As we continue celebrating 50 years of AFD's presence in Djibouti, meet our new country director Mr. Eric de Guerpel!   Mr. Guerpel's career began in logistics and international planning before shifting toward #humanitarian work in 2010 when he joined Action Against Hunger (ACTION CONTRE LA FAIM) in Haiti after the devastating earthquake. Over 5 years, he gained hands-on experience in countries like Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Chad and Nepal, solidifying his commitment to impactful, resilient development.   Mr. Guerpel then transitioned into leadership roles at Action Against Hunger's headquarters in Paris, managing operations in the Middle East - an experience that introduced him to #Djibouti in 2016.   Later he joined Agence Française de Développement Group and Expertise France where he led efforts in risk prevention and disaster management. As Djibouti Director, Mr. Guerpel's goals include enhancing access to essential services like water and sanitation, supporting youth training programs, strengthening the financial system , and working closely with local partners for sustainable development.   "Returning to Djibouti is a privilege. I'm grateful for the warm welcome, the support of a skilled team, and the chance to continue the great work of my predecessors. Looking forward to fostering collaboration with our Djiboutian partners to drive impactful and sustainable progress together!" - Eric de Guerpel.

Expertise France is looking to recruit a public debt expert coming from public administration to provide high-level expertise in strengthening the implementation of public finance management reforms in #Kenya, notably debt management and green finance. The Technical Project Lead position will be based in Nairobi for at least 6-12 months. Deadline to apply is 19th January, 2025! Public Financial Management Reforms Secretariat #PFMReforms #Leadership #Transparency #GoodGovernance #GreenFinance https://lnkd.in/dt_YjKRh

Get acquainted with our new country director for AFD Kenya, Ms. Anne-Gael Chapuis-Mirol ! 🎓 A graduate of Sciences Po Lyon, in international relations; followed by a French Master degree in international trade and a British master degree in management, Anne-Gaël Chapuis has worked for nearly 30 years in France and abroad managing international projects for the benefit of public and private institutions. Ms. Chapuis joined the Agence Française de Développement Group in 2015 as Head of Communications and Marketing of Proparco, AFD's private sector subsidiary. For 5 years, she developed and implemented Proparco's internal and external communications and marketing strategy; and created and launched the Choose-Africa initiative 🌍. https://lnkd.in/dztWZhn Appointed Deputy Director at the AFD agency in Mamoudzou (Mayotte) in 2020, Ms. Chapuis was responsible for projects related to water and sanitation, transport and urban development, representing more than 200M€ of loans to local government entities. She also developed programs with civil society organizations and the local governments to support gender equality, sport and development, and cultural and creative industries, leading to several innovative projects for AFD in the overseas territories. 👏 Appointed Director of AFD in #Kenya in September 2024, she will continue to work closely with the French Team and our international financial partners to promote and implement #sustainable financing in a collaborative and efficient way with the Government of Kenya and its public agencies.

Agence Française de Développement is delighted to announce the appointment of Jean Guyonnet-Dupérat as the new Proparco Regional Director for East Africa.   With more than 15 years of experience spanning banking and development finance, Jean has a proven track record of fostering investments that drive business growth and improve livelihoods. In his previous role as Director for Nigeria, he managed $100 million annually, focusing on core sectors like banking and agro-processing. He also spearheaded innovative deals in fintech, venture capital, off-grid energy, and digital solutions. Jean will lead a dynamic team of development finance professionals, collaborating to deliver $300 million of impactful investments in East Africa each year. His appointment reinforces Proparco’s efforts in the region, advancing our mission to foster a responsible private sector that drives sustainable growth, job creation, essential services, poverty reduction, and climate action. We look forward to the positive contributions he will bring.

Get to know our new Regional Director for Agence Française de Développement Group East Africa - Mr. ARNAL Jean-françois !   Mr. Arnal graduated as a civil engineer from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées and obtained a MSc from the University of California, Berkeley.   He started at AFD Headquarters as a Project Officer in the Energy sector for Western Africa. He was then posted in Ivory Coast, New Caledonia, and Ghana as the Country Director.   Back at HQ in 2007, he was in charge of support functions I.T, logistics and real estate from 2007 to 2012.   Mr. Arnal then occupied the post of Representative to the EU Institutions from 2012 until 2017. He was appointed as the deputy Head of Operations from 2017 until 2020 when he was seconded to the European Commission at Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG-INTPA).

Today marks a historic day in Kenya's water sector 💧 as the ultra-modern Kigoro Water Treatment Plant in Murang'a was officially inaugurated by Eng. Mugaa Eric, Cabinet Secretary at Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation and H.E Thani Mohamed-Soilihi French Minister of State for Francophonie and International Partnerships! The Kigoro water treatment plant, financed by Agence Française de Développement and implemented by Athi Water Works Development Agency will provide 140 million liters of clean water for over 1.2 million people across the 5 counties of Murang'a, Kiambu, Nairobi, Machakos and Kajiado. AFD also funded the development of 10 Biocenters in Nairobi's informal settlements, offering toilets, showers, social spaces and biogas-fueled cooking areas particularly for women in underserved neighborhoods like Kibera, Mathare, Kawangware and Mukuru. Anne-Gael Chapuis-Mirol Mélanie GRIGNON Guillaume Polge