The African Development Bank (AfDB) has projected that the continent's economic growth rate will rise to 6 percent this year, the News Agency of Nigeria reported on Wednesday.

A statement released by the AfDB said its projection was based on strong demand for oil and other Africa n resources from fast- developing nations.

The statement based its projections on rising investment, good weather for agriculture and sound macroeconomic policies.

"Increased growth follows an expansion of 5.5 percent in the Africa n economy last year, up from an average of about 5 percent in the preceding years," it said.

But in spite of the overall expansion, the bank's Chief Economist Louis Kasekende said growth must accelerate to a steady 7 percent to 8 percent for Africa to reach its goal of halving the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2015.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2007)