The Agence Française de Développement (AFD): In the heart of the Franco-Nigerian cooperation

The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) is a French public institution in charge of putting in application and following the policy defined by the government regarding struggle against poverty and promoting sustainable development. In this perspective, the agency execute two major roles: It is in the same time a French cooperation operator and a development bank. The AFD is the heir of the French Caisse Centrale de la France Libre (CCFL) founded by Charles de Gaulle and then reformed later by Pierre Mendes France. This first reform project will extends his area of responsibility. The agency will be in charge of financing the social and economic development of the French overseas territories (Territoires d’Outre-Mer). The decolonization process engaged in the French colonies will deeply readjusting his mission of banknote emitter. Between 1992 and 1998, the agency changed his name twice. From 1998 until now, it keeps the Agence Francaise de Deloppement in charge of French development aid.

The AFD mostly intervene mainly in Africa but has multiples relays in the Middle-east, in Asia, in South America and in the Caribbean. It executes the orientations established by the Comité Interministériel pour la Coopération Internationale et le Developpement (CICID). Its prerogatives are explicited by the Contrat d’Objectifs et des Moyens (COM) ratified by the French government. By virtue of this contract, the AFD is the French operator in charge of:

• Contribute to following the French aid policy in foreign countries.
• Working for the development of the overseas territories/collectivities and New Caledonia.

According to the activity rapport from 2010, 28 % of the budget of French public aid for development goes for supporting the AFD activities. Africa is the first recipient of this aid whose representing in 2010 around 2.1 billion of euros. This financial means goes in priority to infrastructures (routes, transport etc.), supporting education and energetic development.

In Nigeria, The AFD opened an agency in the federal capital Abuja in 2008. This representation in Nigeria goes in the way of the bilateral rapprochement initiated between France and Nigeria. A mutual rapprochement between the two countries has been confirmed by the signature of the Memorandum of Misunderstanding in May 2009. In Nigeria, Anglophone countries who counts over 170 million inhabitants, the preliminary projects was leaded in the contribution of the World Bank. The AFD has co-financed projects of adduction of urban water, rehabilitation of rural routes and also working on improving the urban transport network.

The AFD is very enthusiastic to work in Nigeria. Despite his status of first economy of the African continent, Nigeria is a fragile giant. There is plenty of projects the experience of AFD could be useful. According to the AFD human indicators, although the country registered high economic growth the recent years, 40% of Nigerian people lives under the poverty line. The AFD officials have presented their strategic intervention plan for the next years. They selected some areas of priorities:

• Supporting inclusive and sustainable development of the country
• Contribute to the diversification of the Nigerian economy
• Promoting the rise of sustainable cities