African Development Bank Annual Meetings 2026: Mobilizing Resources for Africa's Development in a Fragmented World
Tomorrow, Monday, heads of state and government, finance ministers, central bank governors, and private sector leaders, financial sector experts, and civil society representatives will gather in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, for the African Development Bank's (AfDB) 2026 Annual Meetings.
Theme: Mobilizing Large-Scale Resources for Africa's Development in a Fragmented World
This year's edition will feature the 61st meeting of the AfDB's Board of Governors and the 52nd meeting of the Board of Governors of the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessionary financing window of the AfDB Group. The Annual Meetings are the institution's most important statutory event. Over 3,000 participants are expected in Brazzaville, including leaders and policymakers from the 81 member countries, financial and development institution representatives, think tanks, civil society, private sector, academics, and opinion leaders.
International Context: A Decline in Official Development Assistance
The Annual Meetings will take place in a context where official development assistance is experiencing a significant decline. Africa must innovate, identify, and exploit its own resources to finance its own development, particularly through the New Architecture for African Development (NAFAD) proposed by the AfDB Group.
Key Highlights
- The Annual Meetings will allow shareholders to review progress made during the past year and reflect on the implementation of the Four Cardinal Points as pillars of sustainable development in Africa.
- The event will be a unique forum for exchange on Africa's development, bringing together leaders, shareholders, civil society representatives, private sector, and media.
- In addition to the statutory meetings of the AfDB and ADF Boards of Governors, the institution and the host country will organize events related to knowledge sharing during the meetings.
New Leadership: Sidi Ould Tah
The 2026 Annual Meetings will be the first for Sidi Ould Tah, who took office as the ninth President of the AfDB Group in September 2025. One of his major achievements under his leadership is the 17th replenishment of the ADF (ADF-17), which took place in December in London and mobilized a record $11 billion.
The African Development Fund
The ADF is the concessionary financing window of the AfDB Group, supporting low-income and fragile African countries through preferential loans and grants. 24 African countries have committed $182.7 million to the Fund, a record number.
The New Architecture for African Development (NAFAD)
Under President Ould Tah's leadership, the dispersed resources will be mobilized and optimized to unlock Africa's financial potential and "multiply each dollar by ten." The NAFAD has received the endorsement of African financial ecosystem leaders in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, in April, after being adopted by African heads of state in February at the African Union Summit in Addis-Ababa.
The Four Cardinal Points
The NAFAD is based on the "Four Cardinal Points," the strategic vision of the AfDB President to unlock Africa's capital power, strengthen its financial sovereignty, invest in human capital and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to support young people and women on the continent, and develop competitive infrastructure and value chains.
