24 African Countries Pledge $180m to Strengthen ADF
Twenty-four African countries have pledged about $180 million to the African Development Fund (ADF), strengthening Africa’s own development financing capacity.
The pledge was made under the seventeenth replenishment of the African Development Fund (ADF-17), the concessional financing arm of the African Development Bank Group that supports low-income countries across the continent.
According to the African Development Bank Group, the latest replenishment mobilised a record $11 billion from 44 partners, representing a 23 per cent increase compared to the previous cycle and the largest resource mobilisation in the Fund’s 53-year history.
The 24 African contributors include Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, The Gambia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Officials say 20 of these countries are first-time contributors, highlighting growing African ownership of the continent’s development agenda and financing systems.
African Development Bank Group President Sidi Ould Tah said the level of African participation sends a strong signal of commitment.
“Africa is not only a beneficiary of the ADF; it is a co-investor in its own future,” he said.
The Fund supports investments in infrastructure, agriculture, energy, transport corridors, and basic services in eligible countries. Current ADF-backed projects include solar power development in the Sahel, regional transport links, agricultural value chains, and water and sanitation systems.
The replenishment also supports a proposed Market Borrowing Option, which would allow the Fund to access capital markets for the first time, further strengthening its financing capacity.
Additional co-financing commitments include up to $800 million from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa and up to $2 billion from the OPEC Fund for International Development, expanding available resources for development projects.
Ministers from contributing countries said their participation reflects confidence in the Fund’s impact and a shared commitment to Africa-led development solutions.
Burkina Faso’s Minister of Economy and Finance Aboubakar Nacanabo said the contribution reflects Africa’s need to take ownership of its transformation.
“Our contribution reflects our desire to build a balanced partnership focused on concrete results that serve our populations,” he said.
Liberia, The Gambia, and Sudan also highlighted the Fund’s role in supporting infrastructure development, economic resilience, and post-crisis recovery.
The African Development Bank Group says the participation of African countries in ADF-17 demonstrates strengthened regional ownership and a shared commitment to sustainable development across the continent.
