There is much work we have done and can do. All of this serves greater integration, development, and prosperity. Because, ultimately, people need hope.
elchi reports that this was stated by Muhammad Al-Jasser, Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group, at the session titled “A conversation with the Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group” held within the framework of the Islamic Development Bank Annual Meetings in Baku.
According to him, reviving hope is extremely important in the process of economic development: “If it is not possible to create hope in people, nothing else will help.”
He spoke about the work the bank has done: “We financed the construction of a road between two cities in The Gambia. Previously, it took 12 hours to travel from one city to another by car, but now this time has been reduced to just 4 hours. Imagine how this affects the movement of goods, services, and people between those two cities. This is exactly what integration is. That is, we are not only talking about integration between different countries, but also about integration within the same society.”
The Chairman also emphasized the importance of integration: “There are cases where a lot of food is produced in one region, but it spoils because it cannot be delivered to the market, while in other regions, people face hunger. Therefore, integration is one of the main directions of our activities, and you will encounter this topic in a large part of the work we do. For example, in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, there were serious problems regarding the movement of people within the city. We financed a metro project. During the first year, the metro operated at full capacity, serving more than 100 million passengers. Therefore, we immediately started working on financing its expansion. Imagine how much the expansion of people’s mobility contributes to economic development. This is one of the main tools that make development possible.”
He added that in some countries, life expectancy has increased significantly thanks to a hospital built in densely populated areas: “We have implemented numerous projects like these. There is even the problem of preventable blindness. This is a very serious issue in some parts of Africa. We have also operated in this field on a charitable basis. Ophthalmologists from member countries volunteer their time, travel to those regions, perform surgeries, and remove cataracts so that people can return to a productive life.”