KEY POINTS
- AfDB President Sidi Ould Tah said Africa’s development depends on stronger regional financial cooperation and risk-sharing mechanisms.
- He said Africa must shift from fragmented financing to a coordinated financial system across national and regional levels.
- He highlighted industrialisation, value addition and digitalisation as key priorities for transformation.
MAIN STORY
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Sidi Ould Tah, has called for stronger financial cooperation across Africa, saying the continent must adopt more coordinated systems to support long-term development.
Tah made the remarks while speaking to journalists at the end of the 2026 AfDB Annual Meetings in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
He said Africa’s current reliance on fragmented funding arrangements and public sector financing is no longer adequate to meet rising infrastructure and industrialisation demands.
According to him, the continent needs a more connected financial structure that brings together institutions across national, regional and continental levels.
Tah explained that the proposed system is built around coordination, shared responsibility and risk distribution among African financial institutions, rather than the creation of new bodies.
He said it would link development banks, commercial lenders, guarantee institutions, pension funds, stock exchanges and central banks into a more unified framework, and that institutions closest to projects would play a greater role in decision-making and implementation under the new structure.
Tah also said the African Development Bank Board has approved steps toward implementing the framework under the Abidjan Consensus, stressing the need for African economies to shift from exporting raw materials to building domestic industries that generate higher value.
He cited mineral exports as an example, noting that African countries often sell raw commodities cheaply while importing processed goods at significantly higher costs.
Tah said the bank is supporting initiatives in vocational training, technical education and small business development to strengthen human capital, adding that digitalisation would help formalise informal economic activity and improve productivity across the continent.
THE ISSUES
The discussions reflect ongoing concerns about Africa’s fragmented financial systems, limited coordination between institutions, and dependence on external financing. Experts noted that without stronger integration and risk-sharing mechanisms, the continent may struggle to close its infrastructure and industrialisation gaps.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“The new African Financial Architecture was specifically designed to avoid a disconnect from realities on the ground,” said AfDB President Sidi Ould Tah.
“The objective is to improve coordination and enable African institutions to respond more effectively to development challenges,” said AfDB President Sidi Ould Tah.
“The African Development Bank has been mandated to move quickly from concept to implementation,” said AfDB President Sidi Ould Tah.
WHAT’S NEXT
- The AfDB is expected to begin implementation of the African Financial Architecture for Development framework.
- Member institutions will align on coordination and risk-sharing mechanisms across regions.
- Further engagement is expected on industrialisation and value addition strategies.
BOTTOM LINE
The Bottom Line: Africa’s development agenda is shifting toward deeper financial integration and institutional coordination. The AfDB says the success of this shift will depend on how effectively African institutions collaborate to mobilise and deploy capital at scale.
,%20Sidi%20Ould%20Tah,%20has%20called%20for%20stronger%20financial%20cooperation%20across%20Africa,%20...){kind=link}