The African Development Bank Group and France are developing a more integrated approach to financing projects, strengthening delivery and widening private-sector participation across African countries.
The relationship brings together Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group and Business France alongside the Bank Group's sovereign and non-sovereign operations, project preparation facilities and regional presence. Together, these institutions connect public finance, risk-sharing, technical expertise and commercial capabilities across investment cycles.
France joined the African Development Fund, the Bank Group's concessional financing window, in 1977 and became a member of the Bank in 1983, making it one of the institution's first non-regional members. France continues to participate in the Fund's replenishment and policy discussions, including through its contribution to ADF-17 and its early engagement in preparations for ADF-18. Over more than four decades, the relationship has evolved from shareholder engagement into a broader platform for financing, technical cooperation and private-sector development.
Moving projects from preparation to delivery
Since 2021, the Bank Group and AFD have generated an estimated €2.4 billion in co-financing. The portfolio spans clean energy transitions, climate resilience and adaptation, regional transport infrastructure, private-sector development, water and sanitation, and job creation across all regions of the continent.
Through the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank and AFD's Choose Africa 2 programme, the two institutions are developing new approaches to youth entrepreneurship finance. In 2024, they agreed to develop instruments for Côte d'Ivoire, Benin and Togo that combine entrepreneurial ecosystem development, public policy dialogue, financing and technical assistance, responding to an estimated $331 billion financing gap facing African micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
A comparable approach is being applied to digital financial inclusion. Co-founded by the Bank Group and AFD in 2019, alongside the Gates Foundation and the Government of Luxembourg, the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility finances scalable digital infrastructure, regulatory reform and financial products designed to broaden access to credit and other services, particularly for women, young people, farmers, small businesses and rural communities. In 2025, AFD committed a further €3 million, bringing its total contribution to more than €5 million.
This coordination reflects the Bank Group's emphasis on broadening access to affordable capital and increasing the impact of public resources. It also aligns with the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD), a strategic initiative launched by the Bank Group to fix financial fragmentation and close the continent's $400 billion annual development financing gap. NAFAD calls for stronger coordination among financial institutions, improved risk-sharing and a larger pipeline of investment-ready projects. For France and the Bank Group, these principles are taking shape through joint origination, co-financing and closer coordination earlier in the project cycle.
Strengthening the conditions for investment
Capital alone does not move projects forward. Legal capacity, sound preparation and appropriate risk allocation are also essential.
France's contributions to the African Legal Support Facility, hosted by the Bank Group, help governments negotiate complex commercial and financial transactions. These resources finance legal advisory services, institutional strengthening and training in areas including natural resource contracts, sovereign debt management, contingent liabilities and creditor disputes.
The Bank Group's Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) has received a $135 million commitment from France, representing more than half of its current funding envelope. The contribution combines technical assistance with a guarantee mechanism designed to encourage financial institutions to increase lending to women-led businesses. AFAWA strengthens the capacity of participating financial institutions, reduces perceived lending risk and improves access to capital for women-owned and women-led enterprises.
Connecting French companies with Bank Group operations
The Bank Group's annual Business Opportunities Seminar is another channel linking wider cooperation directly to French companies.
Organised with Business France and the French Embassy in Côte d'Ivoire, the seminar brings firms into direct discussion with Bank Group operational teams. Participants receive guidance on sovereign and non-sovereign financing, procurement rules, consultant selection, integrity requirements and sector pipelines.
In June 2026, the seminar brought representatives of nine French companies to the Bank Group's headquarters in Abidjan. Sessions covered private-sector finance, procurement, water and sanitation, renewable energy, urban development and health. Previous delegations have included companies working in engineering, water management, digital services, environmental technology, education and sustainable industry.
The seminar provides an established channel to present the Bank Group's strategic priorities, financing instruments, and business opportunities across Africa, while helping participants better understand the Bank Group's financing and operational requirements.
