The African Development Bank Group and the United Kingdom are strengthening a partnership focused on mobilising capital at scale to advance investment-led growth across Africa. This cooperation is aligned with the Bank Group's strategic priorities under the Four Cardinal Points, particularly expanding access to capital and strengthening Africa's financial systems.
Africa's role in the global economy continues to expand, driven by increasing demand for clean energy, resilient infrastructure, and critical minerals. The continent holds approximately 30 percent of the world's known mineral reserves and more than 60 percent of global solar potential, positioning African economies at the centre of the energy transition and future industrial development.
The Bank Group is working with the United Kingdom and other partners to deploy concessional finance to catalyse additional investment and expand financing flows into priority sectors.
In December 2025, the governments of the United Kingdom and Ghana co-hosted the African Development Fund's seventeenth replenishment pledging session in London, mobilised a record USD 11 billion for the Fund, the concessional window of the Bank Group supporting 37 low-income and fragile African countries. The United Kingdom pledged GBP 603.7 million, reinforcing its position as one of the Fund's largest contributors.
This milestone was followed by the first Africa Private Capital Mobilisation Day, which brought together development finance institutions, export credit agencies, and global investors to advance private capital flows. The event marked a shift from dialogue to execution, with a focus on reshaping risk perceptions, strengthening public-private collaboration, and advancing catalytic financing platforms. It concluded with the adoption of the London Communiqué, a shared roadmap to scale private capital mobilisation and expand investment pipelines across priority sectors.
Together, these efforts reflect a shift toward more integrated capital deployment, where concessional finance is used strategically to mobilise private investment and expand the overall pool of resources available for development. They also create clearer pathways for investors to engage in African markets through structured platforms and coordinated financing approaches.
Speaking at the Africa Private Capital Mobilisation Day in London, Dr Sidi Ould Tah, President of the Bank Group, underscored the urgency of coordinated action "We must move from fragmented efforts to coordinated platforms that can mobilise capital at scale, and connect investment to opportunity across the continent."
The United Kingdom is increasingly prioritising investment, trade, and private sector engagement in its cooperation with African countries. In December 2025, it set out a renewed framework centred on investment-led cooperation, with a focus on trade expansion, capital mobilisation, and climate action.
Through institutions such as British International Investment and UK Export Finance, the United Kingdom is directing resources toward sectors where the Bank Group is actively building investment pipelines, including infrastructure, energy, and private enterprise.
This approach aligns with the Bank Group's efforts to strengthen domestic capital markets, support regional value chains, and advance implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. It also contributes to broader objectives of enhancing financial system coherence and expanding access to capital across the continent.
Baroness Jenny Chapman, UK Minister of State (International Development and Africa), stated at the launch of the engagement framework: "We are partners, investors, and, most of all, reformers...We want growth to be at the heart of our partnership."
Longstanding and Evolving Partnership
The United Kingdom is one of the largest contributors to the African Development Fund's Climate Action Window, with GBP 200 million supporting climate resilience and low-carbon development in vulnerable countries. Its support to the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, totalling approximately USD 30.7 million, is enabling project preparation and early-stage investments in renewable energy.
The United Kingdom is also supporting Mission 300, the joint initiative by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030, contributing to expanded energy access across the continent.
The United Kingdom's Vision 2035 strategy identifies African countries as priority partners in building resilient supply chains for minerals essential to clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
The Bank Group supports these efforts through financing, technical assistance, and project development, including investments in regional infrastructure and industrial hubs that enable value addition and strengthen market linkages.
The partnership between the United Kingdom and the Bank Group is anchored in a longstanding institutional relationship. The United Kingdom has been a member of the Bank Group since 1983, and a contributor to the African Development Fund since 1973.
The country also contributes to several trust funds and initiatives, including the Africa Disaster Risks Financing Trust Fund, the African Legal Support Facility, and the NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility.
As the United Kingdom prepares for its Presidency of the G20 in 2027, the partnership continues to deepen around a shared objective: mobilising capital at scale, strengthening financial systems, and connecting global investment to Africa's long-term growth priorities.
