The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and leading private-sector executives across West, Central, and North Africa have agreed to deepen collaboration in driving the continent’s development.
AfDB President, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, disclosed this in Abidjan during a high-level dialogue with captains of industry, held on the sidelines of the 13th CGECI Academy hosted by the Confédération générale des entreprises de Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI).
Tah underscored the pivotal role of private enterprise in unlocking Africa’s potential, stressing that government-led efforts alone will be insufficient.
“Africa will either develop with the private sector, or it will not develop at all. My vision is to mobilise a wider pool of investments from private-sector partners, multilateral institutions, and regional development banks to close Africa’s annual financing gap of over $400 billion,” he said.
He added that the Bank intends to leverage innovative financing tools and risk-mitigation strategies to multiply every dollar raised into ten dollars’ worth of transformative investments.
Private-sector leaders, including Ahmed Cissé, President of CGECI, and Célestin Tawamba, President of the Groupement des Entreprises du Cameroun (GECAM), welcomed the renewed partnership. They described the engagement as a “paradigm shift” that could expand financing options, strengthen local banks, and build capacity for African businesses.
The meeting ended with a commitment to maintain open dialogue between AfDB and country-level business stakeholders, ensuring that momentum translates into tangible projects.
Tah is expected to continue these engagements at the Africa Investment Forum (AIF) scheduled for November 26–28, 2025, in Rabat, Morocco, where AfDB will pitch new investment opportunities to global and regional partners.
