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The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has launched its innovative Matchmaking Platform for South-South Cooperation (SSC) under the spirit and theme of ‘From the South to the South, and by the South’, for Member Countries, including Nigeria, during a high-level event held at the Centre International de Conférences (CIC) in Algiers, the Algerian capital, as part of the 2025 IsDB Group Annual Meetings.
The platform offers Member Countries (Nigeria and others) seamless access to over 300 on-boarded Resource Centres across 11 thematic areas, showcasing a proven track record of technical expertise, development cooperation, and innovation. It also allows new institutions and resource centres to join the ecosystem and ensures real-time feedback and knowledge sharing.
Senior representatives from IsDB management, Member Country delegations, including Nigeria, and development partners participated actively in the matchmaking process.
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The ceremony featured opening remarks by the IsDB’s Director-General for Global Practices and Partnerships, Dr. Issa Faye, as well as the IsDB’s Director of the Cooperation & Capacity Development Department, Mrs. May Ali Babiker, followed by a live demonstration of the platform and reflections from Algerian government officials, including the Mr. Abdelkrim Bouzred, Ministry of Finance (IsDB Governor Office) and Mr. Abed Hallouz, the Director General of the Algerian Agency for International Cooperation, recognising Algeria’s growing strategic role in the SSC ecosystem and future contribution to this platform.
In his keynote address, Dr. Faye stated that the platform was more than just a digital tool.
According to him, ‘’It is a manifestation of our commitment to institutionalising a scalable Reverse Linkage model built for our Member Countries and a gateway for sustainable and inclusive cooperation, enabling seekers and providers of expertise to connect, collaborate, and co-create impactful solutions.”
He disclosed that the IsDB Matchmaking Platform was developed under the Roadmap for Scaling Up the Reverse Linkage Mechanism and brought to life by the IsDB’s Reverse Linkage Division.
“It directly responds to the requests of the IsDB’s Governors and is a key outcome of the Riyadh Declaration at 50, adopted during the IsDB’s Golden Jubilee in 2024. This declaration reaffirmed South-South Cooperation as a central pillar of the IsDB’s future direction,” he added.
A highlight of the event included unveiling the mapping of the Algerian Resource Centres, conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the Algerian Agency for International Cooperation. With over 35 Algerian institutions soon to be fully integrated into the platform, Algeria is positioned to emerge as a prominent provider and partner within this platform.
The official launch of the platform’s digital portal by the IsDB team, including the interaction from member countries which symbolises a new chapter in the IsDB’s SSC journey, underscoring the enthusiasm and readiness of stakeholders to engage with the platform.
The IsDB Matchmaking Platform is now live and accessible. It provides users with intuitive tools to search, connect, and initiate collaboration with institutions across the IsDB network.
Meanwhile, at the inauguration of the connecting tool, the leaders of the IsDB lauded Algeria as a country that embodies, as always, “the spirit of brotherhood and hospitality and opened its heart before its doors for the third time, becoming the first member country, other than the headquarters country, to host the Annual Meetings three times since the establishment of the bank, reflecting the country’s firm belief in the value of this well-established institution and the nobility of its mission.
“Since its inception, the IsDB Group has been supporting Algeria’s development efforts through various financing and development activities, totalling about US$3 billion, which reflects the depth of our partnership and the strength of cooperation ties.”
The event marked a significant milestone in bilateral cooperation, and is expected to open new horizons for strengthening the strategic partnership between Algeria and the Islamic Development Bank Group, benefiting the national economy and Algerian society as a whole.
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