AfDB and AFD Align on Energy, Jobs and Agriculture as Cofinancing Nears €2.4bn
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) have reaffirmed their commitment to scaling up joint investments and strengthening alignment on Africa’s development priorities, with cofinancing under their partnership nearing €2.4 billion.
Senior leaders from the two institutions met at AfDB headquarters in Abidjan on 23 January to sharpen their shared focus on high impact sectors, including energy under the Mission 300 initiative, jobs and skills development, entrepreneurship, water, and agriculture. The discussions are expected to feed into negotiations on a new partnership agreement as the current 2021 to 2026 framework approaches its end.
AfDB Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Nnenna Nwabufo, said the partnership had entered a decisive phase, with a strong pipeline of projects ready for delivery.
“We have a strong pipeline of opportunities before us. By focusing on a few high impact sectors and moving faster from pipeline to implementation, we can significantly scale up our joint impact for the people of Africa,” Nwabufo said.
She added that the Bank’s proposed strategic orientation places partnerships at the centre of efforts to mobilise capital at scale, harness Africa’s demographic dividend, and deliver climate resilient infrastructure.
AFD Executive Director for Mobilisation, Partnerships and Communication, Adama Mariko, said the meeting came at a strategic moment for both institutions.
“This deep dive coincided with the leadership transition at the African Development Bank and the final year of the Partnership Framework Agreement. We reaffirmed our priority sectors, particularly entrepreneurship, employment, vocational training and agriculture, and explored opportunities for collaboration on initiatives such as the New African Financial Architecture,” Mariko said.
The meeting also focused on accelerating project implementation, identifying near term cofinancing opportunities and unlocking projects already in the pipeline. Participants further discussed ways to strengthen institutional collaboration, including staff exchanges and closer coordination between regional and sector teams.
