The President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, has reaffirmed his commitment to deepening cooperation with member countries during a series of high-level meetings held in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Ould Tah, who attended his first Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund since assuming office, met with senior government officials from France, Belgium, and Luxembourg—three of the Bank’s major shareholders.
At his meeting with Belgium’s Director General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, Heidy Rombouts, Dr. Ould Tah commended Belgium’s exemplary collaboration with the Bank. Belgium, which prioritizes 13 African nations among its 14 global cooperation partners, contributed €79.4 million to the ADF-16 replenishment—marking a 4.15% increase from its previous commitment.
The discussions across the meetings highlighted preparations for the seventeenth replenishment of the African Development Fund (ADF-17), slated for December 15–16 in London. The Fund serves as the AfDB’s concessional window, extending low-interest loans and technical support to 37 of Africa’s most vulnerable countries.
Dr. Ould Tah also presented his “Four Cardinal Points” vision for the Bank, focusing on improving Africa’s access to capital, reforming the financial architecture, leveraging demographic potential, and building climate-resilient infrastructure.
In his meeting with France’s Director General of the Treasury, Bertrand Dumont, Dr. Ould Tah applauded France’s €560 million contribution to ADF-16, which positioned the country as the fourth-largest donor. France continues to back flagship initiatives such as the Desert to Power project, Mission 300, the Great Green Wall, and the AFAWA initiative empowering women entrepreneurs.
Talks with Rémy Rioux, Director General of the French Development Agency (AFD), reaffirmed both institutions’ ongoing partnership under a 2021–2026 co-financing framework. So far, AFD has financed €1.64 billion in projects targeting climate action, fragility, private sector growth, and regional integration.
Dr. Ould Tah’s meeting with Luxembourg’s Minister of Finance, Gilles Roth, centered on the nation’s continued support to the Fund and a call to increase its contribution to ADF-17. Luxembourg, which joined the AfDB in 2014, remains one of the few countries that allocates over 0.7% of its Gross National Income to Official Development Assistance (ODA). It disbursed €12.7 million for ADF-16 and was among the earliest supporters of the Capital Markets Development Trust Fund (CMDTF).
Over the last decade, the AfDB’s investments have impacted more than 560 million lives across Africa, underscoring its role as the continent’s leading development finance institution.