Article

On January 23, the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and Air Côte d'Ivoire (ACDI) signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) in Abidjan to enhance aviation financing, technical skills development, and sustainability in Africa. The agreement, signed by AfDB's Mike Salawou and ACDI's Laurent Loukou, aims to improve access to affordable aircraft financing, expand training programs for pilots and mechanics, and assess sustainability initiatives such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

It also includes plans to establish a West African Centre of Excellence for aviation training. This collaboration aligns with the African Union's Agenda 2063, the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), and supports the AfDB's Ten-Year Strategy (2024-2033). The partnership marks a milestone in the AfDB's Integrated Aviation Transformation Program (IATP), which focuses on policy, infrastructure, and airline competitiveness.