• Burundi and the African Development Bank launch $152 million BRIDEP to boost agriculture and trade

• The project targets rural transformation through irrigation, digital platforms, and cross-border infrastructure

• Burundi’s first single-window border post and two agropoles form key pillars of the initiative

The Burundian government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) initiated the Burundi component of the Burundi-Rwanda Integrated Development Project (BRIDEP) in Bujumbura on May 20, 2025. The project aims to enhance agricultural production, trans-border transport connections, and facilitate trade between the neighboring East African countries.

The technical launch workshop brought together key institutional, technical, and financial actors involved in the national component of the project. It served mainly to synchronize the level of information and present the main directions of the Burundian segment.

“The launch of this project is a pivotal step in its implementation, marking a historical milestone in steering Burundi towards sustainable, inclusive, and integrated development,” said Diomede Ndayirukiye, Permanent Secretary at the Burundian Ministry of Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock. “By exploiting our irrigable potential, invigorating agro-industrialization and youth and women's entrepreneurship, we are paving the way for a profound transformation of our agriculture,” he added.

The Burundi-Rwanda Integrated Development Project presents itself as a strategic lever for rural transformation and sustainable poverty reduction in Burundi. Unfolding in nine provinces with high agro-economic potential, from Kirundo to Cibitoke through Gitega, Muyinga, and Kayanza, it targets areas vital for food sovereignty and economic inclusion.

Improved seeds will be provided for the cultivation of 24,000 hectares of land, and climate-adapted farming techniques will be disseminated to farmers. Additionally, 40 private livestock centers will restart high-performance pig and chicken breeds, while 6,000 hectares of marsh and 18,000 hectares of watersheds will be rehabilitated.

Target households will access a digital platform centralizing input supply, financing, and markets through the geolocation of 120,000 households. Lastly, the project’s strategic infrastructure includes the construction of the first-ever single-window border post at Akanyaru Haut and the creation of two pioneering agropoles in Cibitoke and Karuzi. These hubs, fruits of public-private partnerships, signal the entry of Burundian agriculture into the industrial age.

Pascal Yembiline, AfDB Country Manager for Burundi, emphasized the transformative potential of agriculture. “Agriculture is the beating heart of the Burundian economy, and when structured, supported, and modernized, it becomes a potent lever of transformation,” he pointed out.

He further stated that the project embodies new generation high-impact projects the bank aims to promote. “The African Development Bank has fully embraced regional integration as a key strategic innovation. With BRIDEP, it’s about synergizing member countries’ ambitions around concerted solutions. This is a significant opportunity for Burundi and constitutes a pivotal project we are proud to support, both technically and financially,” said Yembiline.

With a package of $152 million, the Burundian component is projected to be a structuring lever for national and regional agricultural development. Led by the African Development Bank Group, which contributes over half of the funding, and with strong co-financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the project will also rely on firm commitment from the Burundian government and active participation from beneficiary populations. Its deployment will span six years (2024–2029).