A call for African businesses to join global public procurement market.

UNDB is offering Africa Renewal e-newsletter subscribers a month-free trial subscription to this $90 billion public procurement platform. To take advantage of the offer, members should write to dbsubscribe@un.org with the subject line 'AR Free Trial' no later than 31 December 2022. No financial obligation is required.

As Africa continues to grapple with a myriad of challenges, several continental and broader international efforts have focused on not only helping countries get out of economic challenges, but to reach their aspirations for prosperous lives for their people.

In 1989, the UN proclaimed 20 November as 'Africa Industrialization Day' to raise awareness and mobilise international commitment for the continent's industrialization.

The UN recognizes that 'industrialization, with strong linkages to domestic economies, will help African countries achieve high growth rates, diversify their economies and reduce their exposure to external shocks. This will substantially contribute to poverty eradication through employment and wealth creation.'

Against this backdrop, every UN Secretary-General has urged all parties to ramp up their efforts to increase the capacity of homegrown African companies to successfully bid on development projects in their own back yards.

Public procurement accounts for a substantial portion of global GDP, and therefore the UN and the World Bank joined forces to establish a publication called the United Nations Development Business (UNDB) - a one-stop shop for major global procurement information for development banks such as the World Bank itself, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Millennium Challenge Account, Islamic Development Bank, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, and others.

UNDB is tasked with spreading the word among private sector companies about development projects being undertaken, with the goal of attracting the best price, highest quality service and unparalleled efficiency and expertise.

UNDB launched as a biweekly print publication in 1978 and has now evolved to a dynamic online platform serving companies from more than 150 countries and every procurement dissemination market.

Development Banks, non-governmental organizations, governments (particularly in developing countries) and UN agencies rely on UNDB to promote their procurement information.

The platform supports transparent and inclusive public procurement. UNDB has worked with partners committed to furthering women's...