What is the ICA’s role?

The ICA’s primary role is to help reduce poverty and increase economic growth throughout the African continent through encouraging, supporting and promoting increased investment in infrastructure in Africa, from both public and private sources.

How did the ICA come into existence?

The ICA was set up following the G8 Summit held at Gleneagles in the UK in July 2005 and was a recommendation made to the G8 by the Commission for Africa.  The aim of the Commission for Africa was to take a fresh look at Africa’s past and present, and at the international community’s role in its future development.  The Commission made a number of clear recommendations for the G8, European Union and other wealthy countries as well as African countries.

Where is the ICA based?

The ICA Secretariat is based in Tunis, where it is hosted by the African Development Bank.

Who pays for the ICA’s work?

The ICA Secretariat is funded by voluntary contributions from some ICA members and is staffed by a combination of permanent staff from the African Development Bank and experts on secondment from ICA member countries.

Does the ICA fund infrastructure projects?

The ICA is not a financing agency or a pooled financing facility.  It acts as a platform to catalyse donor and private sector financing of infrastructure projects and programmes in Africa.

Who are the members of the ICA?

ICA members include all of the G8 countries, the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank Group, European Commission, European Investment Bank and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

Which countries and organisations can become members of the ICA?

Membership of the ICA is open to any bilateral or multilateral donors making significant financial contributions to infrastructure in Africa.  On the African side, while membership is led by the African Development Bank, the AU Commission, NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) Secretariat and the Regional Ecomomic Communities participate as observers in ICA meetings.