- AfDB and AFD are seeking to scale joint investments and align more closely with Africa’s development priorities.
- The partnership, which has already mobilised nearly €2.4 billion, is entering a new phase focused on faster project delivery and high-impact sectors.
The African Development Bank Group and Agence Française de Développement have held talks on scaling up joint investment and aligning development priorities across Africa.
Senior leaders from both institutions met in Abidjan on Friday, January 23. The meeting focused on high-impact sectors including energy, jobs and skills, entrepreneurship, water and agriculture. Both organisations also committed to accelerating delivery under a cofinancing partnership that has mobilised nearly €2.4 billion.
The discussions took place at the Bank Group’s headquarters. Officials said the outcomes will feed into negotiations for a new partnership agreement.
African Development Bank Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Nnenna Nwabufo said the partnership has entered a decisive phase. She noted that the current 2021–2026 partnership agreement is approaching its final year.
Nwabufo and AFD Executive Director for Mobilisation, Partnerships and Communication Adama Mariko agreed to accelerate project implementation across priority sectors.
Meanwhile, Nwabufo said both institutions have a strong pipeline of investment opportunities. She added that focusing on fewer high-impact sectors and accelerating implementation would significantly expand development impact across Africa.
Furthermore, she said the Bank’s proposed strategy places partnerships at the centre of efforts to mobilise capital, harness Africa’s demographic advantage and deliver climate-resilient infrastructure.
Mariko said the meeting helped raise ambitions for the next phase of cooperation. He said the engagement coincided with leadership transition at the African Development Bank and the final year of the current partnership framework.
In addition, he reaffirmed priority sectors including entrepreneurship, employment, vocational training and agriculture. He also highlighted opportunities to collaborate on initiatives such as the New African Financial Architecture.
Both sides reviewed near-term cofinancing opportunities and identified actions to unlock projects already in the pipeline. Participants also explored deeper institutional collaboration through staff exchanges and closer coordination between regional and sector teams.