Brazzaville is hosting the African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings from May 25 to 29, 2026. Against a backdrop of global economic tensions marked by geopolitical uncertainty, shrinking financing and rising debt costs, heads of state, ministers and experts will spend five days discussing sustainable ways to finance Africa’s development, while highlighting the continent’s growing efforts toward self-financing.
Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, is hosting the 61st Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank, becoming the epicenter of African economic discussions. Chaired by Sidi Ould Tah, the event brings together heads of state, central bank governors, ministers, international financial officials and investors. The main objective is to mobilize massive resources to finance Africa’s development in a fragmented global context. The AfDB estimates that Africa must mobilize more than 1.3 trillion dollars per year to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, including annual needs ranging from 184 to 221 billion dollars for infra-structure and more than 213 billion dollars for climate financing.
“Africa needs between 130 and 170 billion dollars every year to meet its infrastructure needs, with a financing gap estimated at between 68 and 108 billion dollars annually. The continent offers some of the world’s greatest investment opportunities in energy, logistics, digital infrastructure, food systems and critical minerals. Yet Africa receives less than 1% of global foreign direct investment flows.”
SIDI OULD TAH, President of the AfDB – Mauritania
But faced with declining traditional financing and mounting debt pressure, Africa is now seeking to rely more on its own resources. Several countries are stepping up reforms to improve domestic revenue mobilization, strengthen economic governance, modernize their financial systems and attract greater private investment.The AfDB also estimates that the continent could mobilize up to 1.43 trillion dollars in domestic resources through appropriate policies and better governance. These efforts are also reflected in investments made by African states in infrastructure, energy, agriculture, digital technology and regional integration.
“To mobilize more African savings and international capital in support of transformative projects, we must deepen our financial markets, strengthen our regional institutions, and develop guarantee instruments, risk-sharing mechanisms and blended finance solutions.”
DENIS SASSOU-NGUESSO, President of the Republic – Congo
Africa also intends to capitalize on its immense natu-ral wealth : nearly 60% of the world’s remaining arable land, more than 30% of global reserves of strategic minerals and close to 45% of the world’s technical renewable energy potential.
Another key priority is youth. With a population expected to reach 2.5 billion people by 2050, African countries are increasingly investing in education, training and entrepreneurship to transform this demographic momentum into a driver of growth.
For Congo, the host country, these Annual Meetings represent a major diplomatic and economic showcase, as well as an opportunity to affirm Central Africa’s role in major debates on development financing.
