YOKOHOMA, August 27, 2025 — The African Development Bank [ AfDB ] recently signed a Letter of Intent [LoI] with the Shimizu Corporation, Kao Corporation and The Nippon Road Co Ltd to advance cooperation in the deployment of innovative, climate-resilient road maintenance solutions in Africa.
The agreement was signed days ago by Solomon Quaynor, African Development Bank Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialisation, and executives from Shimizu, Kao, and Nippon Road on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development [TICAD9] in Yokohama, Japan.
The LoI will formalise a framework for mutual cooperation, information and knowledge sharing, as well as the exploration of co-financing opportunities for sustainable infrastructure solutions across Africa.
The consortium’s PET Asphalt Concrete technology, a reinforced asphalt mixture with recycled PET plastic bottles, was selected in June 2025 through a competitive call for proposals under the Bank’s Sustainable Road Maintenance Programme for Africa [SRMPA]. The solution demonstrates strong potential to enhance sustainability in Africa’s road maintenance sector, while supporting circular economy principles.
Under the agreement, the AfDB will facilitate coordination with governments, lead awareness-raising campaigns, support capacity building for local partners, and explore financing options for deployment of the technology.
Shimizu, Kao, and Nippon Road for their part, will conduct demand and feasibility studies, test the application of PET Asphalt Concrete in various African contexts, and assess investment opportunities for scaling up upon successful results.
“The Sustainable Road Maintenance Program for Africa is an innovative initiative by the Bank aiming at offering climate resilient solutions to protect infrastructure investments from the impacts of climate change,” Quaynor stated. “Partnering with Shimizu, Kao, and Nippon Road will enable Africa to benefit from cutting-edge circular economy technology while addressing the growing backlog of road maintenance needs.”
Kazuya Osako, Managing Officer and Director, International Civil Engineering Division, Shimizu Corporation, said: “We believe that the key to successfully spreading this technology in Africa is a collaboration with local companies and partners.”
Shimuzu has already begun testing the PET Asphalt Concrete in Kenya since May this year, Osaka added.
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