African Development Bank is using this year’s Sustainable Energy for All Africa conference to push forward its renewable energy agenda for Africa as well as raise awareness among African countries and development partners about ensuring gender equality.

During a three-day meeting held last week in Abidjan, AfDB’s Acting First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Charles Boamah told a group of more than 100 international and domestic business, government, and civil society leaders that an expeditious improvement of access to renewable energy has become a top priority of many African countries and leaders, and that the Bank plans to “ramp up its investments- equity, loans, grants and guarantees along with co-financing and syndication,” under the New Deal on Energy for Africa.