The African Development Bank (AfDB) has committed to supporting East African countries to accelerate structural transformation, reinforce resilience, and create more decent jobs. This ambition is encapsulated in the Bank's East Africa Regional Integration Strategy Paper (EA RISP) 2023-2027.

The strategy paper, approved by the Bank’s Board of Directors on 08 May, sets out two priority areas to achieve its main objective, namely : (1) Improve regional infrastructure; and (2) Support regional value chains development and trade facilitation.

Under the first priority area, the Bank will invest in cross-border electricity interconnections to strengthen connectivity and increase cross-border trade in electricity. It will also support regional solar energy development through the Desert to Power initiative as well as hydroelectric and geothermal energy to harness the region's endowments. Strengthening the capacity of the East African Power Pool and regional electricity infrastructure initiatives such as the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program and Energy in the Great Lakes countries will also be areas of focus.