AUDA – NEPAD Opens Office in DRC

By Wakhungu Andaje, Kinshasa, 10 August 2026

The African union development agency (AUDA-NEPAD) has opened its Country office in the Democratic Republic of Congo, extending the Agency's presence into one of the continent's most strategically significant economies.

The office is also set to bringing continental technical expertise directly alongside national planning institutions.

The Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, witnessed the signing ceremony alongside the host Country agreement which was signed by Ms Nardos Bekele-Thomas, chief executive officer (C.E.O) of AUDA-NEPAD, and Mr Julien Paluku Kahongya, minister of foreign trade and personal representative of the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Within 100 years, Africa should be fully interconnected, but to achieve this, projects are needed. And not just projects—we also need resources. That is why an agency was established to say: 'We may have great ideas, but if we do not have an institution capable of implementing those ideas through projects, mobilizing resources, and securing financing, then our ideas will continue to remain in drawers”, said the DRC foreign minister.

He added that it was obvious that the development of the Democratic Republic of the Congo no longer depends solely on themselves.

The whole continent was giving development of the DRC a priority it deserves due to its immense resources and potential it possess, and which are essential for Africa's overall development.

He gave an example of the Grand Inga Project as an example. 

“If, through this Agency, the Inga project is successfully implemented, it could provide electricity to between 300 million and 600 million Africans and this demonstrates that the DRC can no longer be viewed as an isolated country but rather as a vital link in Africa's development chain."

The signing ceremony marks the agency’s permanent residents and start of its operations.

The Kinshasa office forms part of AUDA-NEPAD's country footprint programme, which is establishing a physical presence in African member states so that the Agency can closely work directly with governments.

With its continued opening of country offices within its member states, AUDA-NEPAD places its core strengths — technical expertise and resource mobilisation — at the service of national development plans, with particular depth in industrialisation, infrastructure development, digital transformation, human capital, and institutional development.

The DRC office will enable faster and direct access to AUDA-NEPAD's continental resources, project preparation capability and partnership networks in support of the country's own priorities.

"For AUDA-NEPAD to fulfil its mandate effectively, we must be closer to where implementation takes place," said Ms Bekele-Thomas.

"Closer to government, national priorities, to transformational opportunities and to the challenges that require continental solutions."

The agency chief executive officer hailed the DRC President for his move to amplify the country's national development plan, noting that the significance of the country’s progress extends beyond its borders.

"DRC has been a pace setter in the continent as when it advances, multiple regions advance with it and that is why the development of this country cannot be viewed solely as a national matter as it is a continental priority."

With the new office in place DRC will be able to walk the talk by transforming ambitions into tangible projects.

“Agenda 2063 is not implemented in conference rooms, it is implemented through projects, institutions, investment, partnerships and delivery."

The CEO pointed out at the two projects within the country that highlights DRC’S ambition in line with the Agenda 2063.

“Grand Inga, an Agenda 2063 flagship, has the potential to generate approximately 42,000 megawatts of electricity — a scale whose significance reaches far beyond the DRC's own energy future, with the capacity to underpin industrialisation and energy security across Africa.

The high profile meeting ahead of the AUDA NEPAD Kinshasa office launch.

The second one is the Kinshasa–Brazzaville road and rail bridge, developed under the Presidential infrastructure champion initiative, is a practical expression of African integration: a demonstration of how national investment creates regional impact, connecting markets, people and opportunities.” 

She said these projects was a reminder that vision alone was not enough, as the challenge lies squarely in the implementation.

“The challenge is preparation, mobilising the financing and partnerships necessary to move from concept to delivery."

The AUDA-NEPAD Country office will be governed in accordance with the statutes of the African Union development agency and the applicable legal instruments of the African union.

Falling under the host Country agreement, the government of the DRC guarantees the office, its staff and its structures the institutional freedom and autonomy necessary to carry out its mission.

It will work in close partnership with the national institutions and relevant government structures, under the political supervision of the personal representative of the head of State and the chairperson of the National steering committee.

This arrangement is designed to ensure that AUDA-NEPAD programmes are fully aligned with the DRC's National development strategy and plan, the African Union's second ten-year implementation plan, and Agenda 2063.

The Office is to ensure that it harmonise efforts and avoid duplication of activities besides serving as a key point of contact for the broader development community in the country, international organisations, donor agencies and civil society.