The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) have held high-level discussions aimed at scaling up joint investments and strengthening strategic alignment on Africa’s development priorities.
Senior leadership from both institutions met at the AfDB headquarters in Abidjan on January 23, reaffirming their commitment to accelerate delivery under a co-financing partnership that has mobilised nearly €2.4 billion. The talks are expected to inform negotiations on a new partnership agreement, as the current 2021–2026 framework approaches its conclusion.
The discussions focused on sharpening a shared approach toward high-impact sectors, including energy—under the Mission 300 initiative—jobs and skills development, entrepreneurship, water infrastructure, and agriculture.
Nnenna Nwabufo, AfDB Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, said the partnership has entered a decisive phase, underscoring the need to accelerate project execution and scale up impact.
“We have a strong pipeline of opportunities before us. By sharpening our focus 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 direction places partnerships at the centre of efforts to mobilise capital at scale, leverage Africa’s demographic dividend, and deliver climate-resilient infrastructure.
Adama Mariko, AFD Executive Director for Mobilisation, Partnerships and Communication, said the meeting elevated ambitions for the next phase of cooperation.
“This deep dive came at a strategic moment, coinciding 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 collaboration opportunities on initiatives such as the New African Financial Architecture,” Mariko said.
The meeting also examined near-term co-financing opportunities and priority actions to accelerate projects already in the pipeline, while exploring ways to strengthen institutional cooperation, including staff exchanges and enhanced coordination between regional and sectoral teams.
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