The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) recently held high-level discussions in Abidjan on 23 January to enhance joint investment and align more closely with Africa’s development priorities. Senior leaders focused on high-impact sectors such as energy, jobs and skills, entrepreneurship, water, and agriculture, while emphasizing the acceleration of delivery under a cofinancing partnership that has already mobilized nearly €2.4 billion. These discussions are expected to inform upcoming negotiations on a new partnership agreement between the two institutions.
African Development Bank Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Nnenna Nwabufo, highlighted that the partnership is entering a decisive phase as the current 2021–2026 agreement nears its conclusion. Both Nwabufo and AFD Executive Director for Mobilisation, Partnerships and Communication, Adama Mariko, agreed on the need to accelerate project implementation. Nwabufo noted that by focusing on a select number of high-impact sectors and expediting the transition from project pipeline to execution, the institutions can significantly scale up their joint impact for African communities.
The meeting also underscored the AfDB’s strategic orientation, which places partnerships at the center of efforts to mobilize capital at scale, harness Africa’s demographic dividend, and deliver climate-resilient infrastructure. Mariko emphasized that the meeting occurred at a strategic moment, coinciding with leadership transitions at the AfDB and the final year of the Partnership Framework Agreement. He confirmed that priority sectors such as entrepreneurship, employment, vocational training, and agriculture remain central, while also exploring collaboration on initiatives like the New African Financial Architecture.
In addition to financing discussions, the meeting examined near-term cofinancing opportunities and priority actions to unlock projects already in the pipeline. Both institutions also explored strengthening institutional collaboration through measures such as staff exchanges and closer coordination between regional and sector teams, aiming to enhance efficiency and impact across joint initiatives.
