GABORONE, May 17, 2017 —The World Bank Vice President for Africa, Mr. Makhtar Diop, will visit Botswana from May 17-18, 2017. The purpose of the visit is to engage with the Government on the World Bank support to Botswana development priorities.
During this two-day trip Mr. Diop will sign a loan agreement of the $145.5 million for the Emergency Water Security and Efficiency project jointly with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, to support Botswana in its effort to enhance water efficiency and security and meet immediate needs of recent drought affected communities. Mr. Diop will also discuss opportunities for Botswana to shift to a new growth model that would create sufficient, broad-based employment.
This will be Mr. Diop’s first visit to the Republic of Botswana since his appointment as the World Bank’s Vice President for Africa in May 2012. Under his leadership, the World Bank committed $9.4 billion to Sub-Saharan Africa in FY2016 to help tackle development including increasing food security and agricultural productivity; improving access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy, creating economic opportunities for Africa’s youth.
