The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the Development Bank of the Central African States (BDEAC) have signed a letter of intent to deepen cooperation aimed at strengthening financial systems and expanding development financing across the Central African region.
The agreement was signed in Brazzaville during the AfDB 2026 Annual Meetings by AfDB President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah and BDEAC President Dieudonné Evou Mekou. It marks a renewed effort to improve the capacity of regional development finance institutions to mobilise resources and support both public and private sector projects with high development impact.
Under the agreement, the AfDB will support BDEAC in reinforcing its financial base, improving solvency, and enhancing its ability to mobilise long-term capital. The partnership also includes the possibility of establishing a credit line to finance strategic development projects across member countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community.
The collaboration is aligned with the African Development Bank’s broader New African Financial Architecture for Development initiative, which seeks to unlock Africa’s vast domestic resources, estimated at around $4 trillion, while reducing perceived investment risks and deepening regional capital markets.
As part of the partnership, the AfDB will provide technical assistance to BDEAC in key areas such as project appraisal, risk management, environmental and social governance standards, public-private partnership structuring, climate finance, and institutional strengthening. These measures are intended to improve the quality and bankability of development projects in the region.
Officials emphasized that the initiative reflects a broader strategy to strengthen collaboration between African financial institutions and improve coordination within the continent’s fragmented development finance ecosystem. By enhancing cooperation, the institutions aim to increase efficiency, reduce duplication, and improve access to long-term financing.
The agreement also supports AfDB’s strategic vision of acting not only as a financing institution but also as a catalytic platform that connects domestic and international investors, mitigates risk, and transforms development opportunities into investable projects.
The partnership is expected to contribute to stronger regional financial systems and improved capacity for sustainable development financing in Central Africa, in line with wider efforts to mobilise capital at scale across the continent.
