President of the African Development Bank Group ,AfDB, Dr. Sidi Tah, has called for stronger global partnerships and scaled-up financing to accelerate Africa’s development, stressing that the continent’s resilience must be matched with renewed international support.
Speaking at the 80th United Nations General Assembly ,UNGA, in New York, Tah outlined a bold vision anchored on self-sufficiency, reformed financial architecture, climate-resilient infrastructure, and transforming Africa’s demographics into an engine of inclusive growth.
He urged development partners to “work together to build a new African financial system, drawing on each other’s strengths”.
High on his agenda are the replenishment of the African Development Fund, the Bank’s concessional lending arm, resource mobilization, climate finance, regional integration, and socio-economic stability.
The seventeenth replenishment of the Fund is scheduled for December and is regarded as a vital source of concessional financing for 37 low-income African countries.
Tah confirmed that several African nations have already pledged support, even as global development aid faces sharp declines.
Since the beginning of the week, the AfDB president has engaged with key stakeholders, including United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina Mohammed, to explore deeper institutional collaboration.
He also met with UNFPA Executive Director Ms. Diene Keita, where he emphasized the importance of maternal health and investing in young girls to unlock Africa’s demographic dividend.
In a bilateral session with Botswana’s President, Duma Gideon Boko, discussions centered on diversifying Botswana’s economy beyond diamonds, with a strong focus on infrastructure and regional trade corridors.
Tah stressed that natural resource development must serve as a lever for job creation for Africa’s youth.
Further afield, he secured commitments of support from Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, who pledged that his government is “ready to support the Bank’s mission in every way possible”.
Looking ahead, Dr. Ould Tah will participate in the launch of new National Energy Compacts under “Mission 300,” a joint AfDB–World Bank initiative aimed at providing electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
He is also scheduled for a trilateral meeting with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Youssouf, and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Claver Gatete, to discuss continent-wide development priorities.
Tah reaffirmed that the AfDB’s strategy rests on four cardinal pillars: achieving African self-sufficiency, reforming the continent’s financial systems, transforming population growth into inclusive economic opportunity, and accelerating climate-resilient infrastructure development.
“As Africa demonstrates resilience and commitment in the face of daunting challenges, the responsibility of the global community is to stand with the continent, scale up resources, and forge partnerships that unlock its vast potential”, he said.
