AfDB and DRC Sign Agreement to Host 2026 Annual Meetings

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the Republic of Congo have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the hosting and organisation of the Bank’s 2026 Annual Meetings, set to take place in Brazzaville from 25 to 29 May next year.

The MoU was signed by Congo’s Minister of Economy, Planning, Statistics and Regional Integration, Mr Ludovic Ngatsé, who also serves as the Bank Group’s Governor for the country, and the AfDB Secretary General, Mr Vincent O. Nmehielle. The ceremony was witnessed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo, Mr Anatole Collinet Makosso, alongside other senior members of government.

The 2026 Meetings will mark the 61st gathering of the African Development Bank and the 51st for the African Development Fund, the Bank’s concessional lending arm for low-income countries. They will also be the first Annual Meetings held under the chairmanship of Dr Sidi Ould Tah, elected President of the Bank Group on 29 May 2025.

Mr Ngatsé described the initial preparatory mission as both “useful and fruitful”, noting that it enabled the two parties to clarify institutional structures, commitments, and the scope of organisational responsibilities.

By signing the agreement, the Government of Congo has committed to providing the goods and services required for the smooth running of the Meetings, in line with the Bank’s procurement procedures. Mr Nmehielle emphasised that the Bank, for its part, would ensure international standards are upheld, working closely with the host nation on logistics, security, hospitality, accommodation, ICT, transportation, and statutory sessions.

The Annual Meetings are a statutory event of the Bank Group, attracting more than 3,000 participants each year, including governors, directors, development partners, private sector leaders, researchers, philanthropists, civil society, media, and the Bank’s senior management. They provide a key platform for assessing progress and adopting resolutions to accelerate Africa’s development.

This will be the second time Congo has hosted the Annual Meetings, having previously done so in 1984. Cooperation between the Bank Group and the Republic of Congo dates back to 1972, with cumulative financing of $1.27 billion approved for projects and programmes. As of June 2025, the active portfolio in Congo comprised nine sovereign operations totalling $223.3 million, spanning transport, agriculture, finance, energy, and water and sanitation.