The African Development Bank Group African Development Bank Group and the World Economic Forum World Economic Forum have launched a new Humanitarian and Resilience Investing (HRI) Roadmap aimed at unlocking private investment in Africa’s most fragile and underserved economies.
Announced during the 2026 Annual Meetings in Brazzaville, the initiative is designed to channel commercial and catalytic capital into frontier markets and transition states where investment gaps are most severe and traditional financing has been limited. The roadmap seeks to shift development financing from aid dependency toward an investment-led model that strengthens long-term economic resilience.
AfDB Senior Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade emphasized that the initiative reflects a broader paradigm shift in development finance, positioning public institutions and development banks as catalysts rather than primary sources of funding. She highlighted the need for structured investment frameworks that reduce fragmentation and improve coordination among global partners.
The roadmap addresses a major structural imbalance in global capital flows, where Africa receives a disproportionately small share of foreign direct investment and venture capital despite its population size and development needs. It is being piloted in several countries, including Liberia, Somalia, Mozambique, and Djibouti, where investment conditions are most constrained.
Participants in the launch event noted that unlocking investment in fragile states requires more than capital alone. Structural barriers such as weak financial systems, limited regulatory frameworks, and exclusion from global banking networks continue to restrict access to finance, particularly for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
The initiative emphasizes the importance of blended finance, regulatory reform, and digital infrastructure in creating investable markets. Examples such as mobile money systems and digital financial services were cited as evidence that innovation and policy alignment can rapidly expand financial inclusion in frontier economies.
The roadmap also aligns with broader continental development strategies, including efforts to integrate climate resilience and gender inclusion into investment planning. It supports existing African Development Bank programs focused on expanding access to finance for women-led enterprises and strengthening economic participation in fragile and rural communities.
By bringing together multilateral institutions, governments, and private investors, the initiative aims to reduce fragmentation in development finance and build a more coordinated approach to investing in Africa’s most vulnerable but high-potential markets.
