World Bank Group Discusses New Partnership Strategy for Angola (2013-2016) and the Learning for All Project to Benefit Half a Million Primary Pupils
WASHINGTON, September 26, 2013 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today discussed the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Angola that will support the Country’s efforts to improve access to health, quality education, and other key services; strengthen governance; provide opportunities for women and address climate change.
“The approval of this Strategy marks an historic milestone in Angola’s relations with the WBG,” said Laurence Clarke, Country Director for Angola. This is the first truly joint WBG strategy for Angola, and I profoundly hope it will help usher in a new era of possibilities in our historic relationship. This Strategy paves the way for Angola to make full use of a range of WBG’s financial and advisory instruments available at IBRD, IFC, and MIGA, as well as knowledge services from the World Bank Institute (WBI), and thus be in a better position to deploy a set of more sophisticated responses to its complex development challenges as it transitions to a middle income country status.”
Angola is expected to graduate from IDA-eligibility at the end of FY14 as a result of the sharp rise in per capita income which surpasses the eligibility threshold for Angola to continue benefit from IDA resources, the Bank fund for the poorest countries. Thus, this CPS was prepared to support that transition and to define areas that could be supported with a new set of instruments, among which knowledge takes the center stage.
The CPS will provide Angola with timely economic and sector research focusing on rural development, gender, and skills development. These activities will help influence Government policies to reduce poverty, provide social safety net coverage for poor vulnerable families, and diversify growth through continued support to the non-petroleum sectors.
In support of the CPS and what it will set out to accomplish, the Board also approved a US$75 million credit to help Angola train 24,000 teachers serving half a million pupils in nearly a thousand primary schools. This will help improve the quality of teaching as more children are enrolled. The number of primary students has grown from 1.8 million to 4.2 million in just ten years.
Training programs supported by the IDA*-financed Angola Learning for All Project will help teachers acquire skills and knowledge over the next five years. The project will also help set up a system of regular student assessment, particularly for Portuguese and mathematics and support school based management.
“Children must receive higher quality education in primary school so that they can study further and take advantage of new job opportunities as the Angolan economy diversifies,” Clarke said. “Although Angola relies heavily on oil revenues today, the young adults of tomorrow are the country’s true wealth in the long run. We are delighted to support them through this project.”
The IDA zero-interest grant will be complemented by a US$5 million contribution from the Government of Angola.
* The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing zero-interest loans and grants for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 82 poorest countries, 40 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change for 2.5 billion people living on less than $2 a day. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 108 countries. Annual commitments have increased steadily and averaged about $16 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent of commitments going to Africa.
About the World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It comprises five closely associated institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), which together form the World Bank; the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Each institution plays a distinct role in the mission to fight poverty and improve living standards for people in the developing world.
