The African Development Bank Group (AFD) and the French Development Agency, signed a five-year agreement (2026–2031), in Paris, earlier this week, on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum.
The agreement aims to strengthen their partnership to accelerate funding for Africa’s development priorities, targeting areas such as energy transition, transport, water and sanitation, regional connectivity, agriculture and industry.
Dr Sidi Ould Tah and Chief Executive of the AFD and Christophe Lecourtier, of the French Development Agency, emphasised the development of the private sector, entrepreneurship, access to financing, and job creation, more so, for women and the youth.
Ould Tah, said “peace and development go hand in hand, and implementing Africa’s priorities requires close collaboration. France has been supporting the Bank Group in this effort for decades. Together, we will continue to direct capital towards infrastructure that connects markets, strengthens African value chains, and creates jobs for the continent’s youth.”
Since 2021, their cooperation has supported seventeen (17) co-financed projects in at least fourteen (14) African countries.
Lecourtier, said “I am pleased to take another step in our partnership with the African Development Bank, the main financial partner of the AFD in Africa. We share the same ambition, to invest in projects that meet the priorities of African countries and the interests of France and Europe.”
Picture of the two Chief Executive Officers- Dr Sidi Ould Tah and Christophe Lecourtier.