The African Development Bank (AfDB) has invested USD 125 million in the African Trade and Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI), becoming its largest shareholder. The move aims to strengthen investment risk coverage and facilitate financing for infrastructure projects across Africa. It forms part of the New African Financial Architecture for Development initiative, which seeks to mobilize African capital to address the continent’s financing gap.
The African Development Bank’s USD 125 million investment in ATIDI will enhance the institution’s capacity to provide political and commercial risk insurance, thereby facilitating investment flows and boosting trade across Africa. The transaction represents a significant strategic repositioning of the pan-African financial institution within the continent’s private sector support framework.
“The New African Financial Architecture for Development directly addresses the four priorities guiding our common agenda. First, it helps unlock the potential of African capital. It does so by connecting domestic savings, pension and insurance assets, development finance institutions, and international partners through structured platforms capable of financing projects at scale.”
Sidi Ould Tah, President of the African Development Bank – Mauritania
This investment is part of the Bank’s New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD) initiative, which aims to mobilize approximately USD 4 trillion in African institutional capital, including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and savings schemes. These resources, currently fragmented and insufficiently coordinated, could help bridge Africa’s estimated annual development financing gap of USD 400 billion.
“It supports resilient infrastructure and competitive value chains. It helps mobilize long-term financing for energy, transport, digital infrastructure, and industrialization.”
Sidi Ould Tah, President of the African Development Bank – Mauritania
For the past 25 years, ATIDI has played a key role in securing investments across Africa with the backing of 24 member states and several international partners. The African Development Bank is now seeking to strengthen the institution’s capital base by attracting additional member states and private investors, while France is considering increasing its stake. According to Sidi Ould Tah, Africa’s future development will increasingly depend on its ability to mobilize domestic savings and African capital to sustainably finance infrastructure and economic growth.
