Africa's forests and wildlife are about to count in the GDP math

The African Development Bank has approved a $4.23 million grant to help 13 African countries — including Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania and Mozambique — put a real economic value on their forests, biodiversity and natural resources in national policy and investment decisions. Running from October 2026 to September 2029, the program will sharpen how governments measure and manage ‘natural capital’, with backing from the World Wildlife Fund, Germany's GIZ and the UN Environment Programme. The bank's Innocent Onah says factoring nature into economic planning could lift growth, attract investment and cut poverty.