The African Development Bank Group (ADB) and the International Organization for Migration are exploring ways to strengthen their partnership to address climate-related migration and development challenges across Africa.
African Development Bank Group Senior Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade met with International Organization for Migration Director General Amy Pope to discuss enhancing collaboration on migration and development across Africa.
The delegation included Regional Director for West and Central Africa Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, Chief of Mission in Côte d’Ivoire David Preux, and Regional Desk Officer Bawele Tchalim.
The meeting, held at the Bank Group’s headquarters in Abidjan, explored the possibility of formalizing their partnership, building on previous successful collaborations, including the joint production of a 2023 report on migration and development in Africa.
During this high-level meeting in Abidjan, senior representatives from both organizations discussed opportunities for closer collaboration to enhance policy research, data sharing, and project design.
VP Akin-Olugbade praised the existing relationship with the United Nations agency.
“We already have a rich and productive relationship with IOM. As we discuss a potential formal agreement, we aim to be more targeted and concrete in our approach, fully using our combined strengths to show that well-managed migration can benefit everyone involved,” says Akin-Olugbade.
Pope emphasized the importance of proactive collaboration, noting, “Our goal in working more closely with the African Development Bank is to move beyond just responding to migration. We want to work together to ensure people can move safely and with dignity, allowing them to be part of their own development solution and their country’s progress.”
The desire for closer collaboration comes as African countries face growing impacts from climate change and rapidly increasing youth populations, both of which are likely to shape migration trends.
Migration along the Atlantic route, for example, has increased by 150 percent over the past few years. According to Lopez-Ekra, combining IOM’s expertise in migration with the Bank Group’s ability to mobilize financing and resources would position the financial institution to tackle these interlinked challenges more effectively.
Akin-Olugbade highlighted the benefits of collaboration.
“We finance many projects in infrastructure and regional integration. IOM’s perspective helps us to create projects that achieve even more thanks to this collaboration,” says Akin-Olugbade.
Discussions also addressed the need to consider climate change as a key driver of migration when planning projects, as well as the benefits and challenges associated with the migration of skilled workers seeking opportunities.
Both leaders agreed that closer collaboration should focus on sharing knowledge and data, conducting joint policy research, and designing projects that address the root causes of migration, particularly climate change and inadequate job creation.
In a related development, the African Development Bank and IOM released a joint report titled “Diaspora Engagement, Climate-Induced Migration and Skills Mobility: A Focus on Africa.”
The report examines the impact of migration on human development and poverty reduction, providing insights on how to leverage the potential of the African diaspora, build climate resilience, and harness skills mobility to drive Africa’s development trajectory.
Key findings of the report support the ADB’s position that diaspora engagement is crucial in mitigating the impact of “brain drain” from the continent, and advocates that talent in the diaspora shares problem solving skills to address climate-related issues, ranging from sudden onset challenges, adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies.
