This report summarizes the key discussions, conclusions and recommendations of the 2026 Annual Workshop of the Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI), held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. Under the theme “Augmenting Sovereign Finance in Africa: DFIs Unlocking Growth and Resilience through the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD),” the workshop examined how African development finance institutions can strengthen capital mobilization, reduce financing costs, expand risk-sharing mechanisms and accelerate the preparation of bankable projects.
The 2026 AADFI Annual Workshop brought together more than 214 delegates from 33 countries, including chief executive officers and senior executives of development banks and financial institutions, policymakers and strategic partners. The workshop focused on the role of development finance institutions in strengthening Africa’s financial architecture through the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD).
The report examines three major areas: mobilizing and deploying capital at scale; strengthening third-party guarantee and risk-sharing mechanisms to reduce pressure on sovereign balance sheets; and accelerating early-stage project preparation to expand Africa’s pipeline of bankable and investment-ready projects. It also highlights the importance of domestic resource mobilization, local-currency financing, deeper capital markets, institutional investor participation and stronger coordination among national, regional and multilateral development finance institutions.
The report concludes with strategic recommendations aimed at strengthening African DFIs, improving risk perception through better data and standardized frameworks, expanding market-ready financial instruments, institutionalizing guarantee and co-financing mechanisms, and advancing research-driven innovation and knowledge generation.
