From 25–27 February 2026, Accra hosted a three-day Green Climate Fund (GCF) Direct Access Accreditation Training Programme, organized under the African Union’s Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP).
The event brought together Direct Access Entities (DAEs), government representatives, and partners to strengthen institutional capacity for climate-resilient water investments and gender-transformative financing.
The training covered:
- Day 1: Climate change fundamentals and the accreditation journey, including fiduciary standards, environmental and social safeguards, and gender policy.
- Day 2: Navigating the accreditation portal, documentation requirements, and lessons learned from DAEs such as the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia and Ecobank Ghana.
- Day 3: Post-accreditation operationalization, including project preparation facility (PPF) access, reporting, monitoring, and re-accreditation.
Case studies from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Ecobank Ghana provided practical insights into fiduciary compliance and GCF processes. Participants also engaged in hands-on exercises to develop tailored action plans and accreditation roadmaps.
Opening remarks emphasized the importance of gender-transformative, climate-resilient investments to accelerate Africa’s water security agenda. The programme concluded with reflections from GWP and GCF, reinforcing the collective commitment to empower African institutions to directly access climate finance and drive sustainable development. This training forms part of the AU AIP Multi-Country Green Climate Fund Readiness Support, advancing Africa’s readiness for climate finance and strengthening pathways to sustainable water investment.
