African Employers Embrace Fresh Start with AfDB
African private-sector leaders have welcomed what they described as a “fresh start” with the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), following a landmark meeting in Abidjan with the Bank’s new President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah.
The discussions brought together business representatives from West, Central and North Africa, including Morocco, a day after the opening of the 13th CGECI Academy. Employers voiced optimism about the AfDB’s renewed engagement with the private sector.
“We would like to express our satisfaction at this renewed relationship with the African Development Bank Group. We hope this dialogue will rapidly evolve into a strategic partnership with African employers’ organisations,” said Ahmed Cissé, President of the Confédération générale des entreprises de Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI).
Célestin Tawamba, President of the Groupement des Entreprises du Cameroun (GECAM), described the meeting as a “paradigm shift” in the relationship between the AfDB and the private sector.
Dr Ould Tah, who assumed office on 1 September, reiterated the Bank Group’s commitment to bridging Africa’s annual funding gap of over $400 billion through innovative financing and risk-mitigation mechanisms. “Africa will either develop with the private sector, or it will not develop at all,” he told the gathering, emphasising the Bank’s role in shaping a new African financial architecture.
Topics under discussion included access to financing, support for African champions, capacity-building, and guarantees to strengthen national and regional banks. Both sides agreed to maintain open communication through the AfDB’s country offices.
The Bank Group’s President will continue his outreach with private-sector stakeholders at the Africa Investment Forum (AIF), scheduled for 26–28 November 2025 in Rabat, Morocco.
