African Development Bank Group and African Forum of Deposit Funds forge alliance for long-term financing

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the members of the African Forum of Deposit Funds have agreed to strengthen their cooperation to mobilize more long-term financing for Africa’s sustainable development, according to a press release issued on September 9, 2026. The two partners are joining forces in Cotonou to boost productive investment and strengthen economic resilience across the continent. Through this strategic alliance, they aim to support productive investment and contribute to more inclusive growth. The framework respects each partner’s institutional diversity and complementary mandates. It directs joint efforts toward high-potential sectors aligned with their respective missions.

Recognizing the importance of institutional cooperation, both parties intend to coordinate responses to geopolitical and economic uncertainties, climate-related disruptions, global shocks, market dependencies, and social economic divides. The structured and evolving cooperation framework leverages complementary strengths between the two institutions. Together they will facilitate long-term resource mobilization and support productive investment. They will also promote financing solutions tailored to the continent’s development priorities. The alliance draws on the African members of the African Forum of Deposit Funds.

“In a context marked by global economic uncertainty and the need to mobilise more resources for development, no institution can act alone. By strengthening our cooperation with the African members of the African Forum of Deposit Funds, we are creating the conditions for more effective mobilisation of long-term financing to support Africa’s economic transformation, job creation and the resilience of our economies,” said Ahmed Attout, Director of the Financial Sector Development Department at the African Development Bank Group.

Maryse Lokossou, Managing Director of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations du Bénin and current Chair of the African Forum of Deposit Funds, emphasized the strategic role of deposit funds. She highlighted the added value of the partnership with the African Development Bank Group. Lokossou pointed to the unique capacity of African deposit funds to mobilize long-term savings for national development.

“African deposit funds have a unique capacity to mobilise long-term savings for national development. By combining our expertise and investment capacity with those of the African Development Bank Group, we aim to accelerate financing for projects with significant economic and social impact and help build more resilient and inclusive African economies,” Lokossou said.

The two partners intend to deepen cooperation in several priority areas. Joint activities will include co-financing projects and joint operations, mobilizing resources at scale, and developing investment vehicles and platforms. These will support productive investment, entrepreneurship, and job creation. Cooperation will also expand in knowledge sharing and institutional capacity development.

The strengthened cooperation will promote solutions to enhance the resilience of African economies to economic, financial, climate-related, and external shocks. This approach will bolster investments and cooperation frameworks aligned with national and regional priorities. The two parties are committed to promoting an inclusive and predictable African financial system under the New African Financial Architecture for Development. They reaffirm their determination to build a strong, transformative, and impact-oriented partnership. The alliance is founded on mutual trust, knowledge sharing, and the mobilization of resources for the benefit of African countries and their people.