Also known as: AfDB · African Development Bank Group
African Development Bank — multilateral development finance institution that approves loans and funds infrastructure and sector modernization projects across Africa.
… Yet, despite this numerical dominance, their contribution to GDP has remained “stubbornly flat for two decades,” according to the African Development Bank’s 2025 African Economic Outlook. …
… Citing an African Development Bank study, the President said increased processing of critical minerals could boost Africa’s processed mineral exports by US$32 billion, add US$24 billion to continental GDP and create about 2.3 million decent jobs. …
… The Regional Director disclosed that UNFPA was collaborating with the African Development Bank to develop innovative financing mechanisms, including concessional loans and grants, to enable countries to mobilise additional resources for health investments. …
… Dr Hounton revealed that UNFPA is working with the African Development Bank to establish financing instruments combining concessional loans and grants to enable countries to invest more in healthcare. …
… Shettima did not disclose the fund’s financing structure, but said it would pool commitments from the World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and private investors. …
… He referenced interventions by institutions such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), whose guarantee structures have helped mobilise billions of dollars in private sector investment, demonstrating the value of strategic partnerships in reducing risk and improving investor con …
… The African Development Bank Group (2021) specifically identifies the depth of technically trained agricultural scientists and agro-engineers as one of the most significant constraints on food security and rural economic development across West Africa. …
The African Development Bank (AfDB) said on Thursday it had approved a loan of €205 million ($234 million) to help Morocco extend its high-speed rail network and upgrade rail infrastructure along one of the country’s busiest transport corridors. …
SMEs in Ghana and Africa have unrealised potential due to deficient financial management capabilities; research by the University of Ghana Business School indicates that targeted financial literacy interventions can increase SME profits by approximately 26%, and digital financial tools offer a pathway to formalisation and sustainable growth.
SMEs in Ghana and Africa have unrealised potential due to deficient financial management capabilities; research by the University of Ghana Business School indicates that targeted financial literacy interventions can increase SME profits by approximately 26%, and digital financial tools offer a pathway to formalisation and sustainable growth.
President John Dramani Mahama has called on African governments to place the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at the centre of their development strategies and use it as a catalyst for industrialisation and economic transformation. His remarks came at the opening of a High-Level Conference on Governance, Critical Minerals and Conflict in Africa in Accra, where he stressed that Africa must responsibly harness its critical mineral resources to promote peace and drive sustainable economic transformation.
The West and Central Africa Regional Director of UNFPA urged parents and caregivers to provide adolescent girls with comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education to protect them from unintended pregnancies and maternal deaths, noting that more than 30 per cent of maternal mortality in the region is among adolescent girls and is preventable.
The UNFPA Regional Director for West and Central Africa has urged African governments to boost domestic investment in healthcare to end preventable maternal deaths, citing inadequate financing and unequal access to quality care in rural areas as key obstacles.
While African governments are increasingly effective at raising capital through conferences and new financing vehicles, the real challenge is translating investment commitments into well-prepared, execution-ready projects; South Africa's experience shows only 42% of $91 billion in investment pledges since 2018 had actually flowed into the economy by March 2026.
Ghana is betting on data sovereignty and local infrastructure through initiatives like a $10 billion road programme and a Bank of Ghana directive requiring sensitive financial data to be stored domestically. Ivorian entrepreneur Hassan Dakhlallah, who has pursued similar policies in infrastructure and digital infrastructure, is arriving in Accra as the country seeks execution partners for these ambitions.
Nigeria has launched a $500 million agriculture investment fund for the Niger Delta region to raise food output and strengthen food security, with investments in aquaculture, palm oil, and marine resources supported by the World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and private investors.
Farihan Alhassan, Managing Director of GCB Bank PLC, argued at the African Business Leaders Awards in London that Africa's financing challenges stem not from capital scarcity but from the need to build better risk structures and predictable investment environments. He cited an infrastructure financing gap of between US$68 billion and US$108 billion annually and a widening climate finance deficit, attributing barriers partly to the "Africa risk premium" that inflates borrowing costs despite lower default rates on infrastructure investments in the region.
Ghana's overconcentration of top students in medicine and law stems from British colonial-era hierarchies that elevated medical officers and lawyers as symbols of middle-class security and social advancement, while engineers and agricultural specialists remain undervalued and underutilized despite Ministry of Education targets favouring science and technology.
The African Development Bank approved a €205 million ($234 million) loan to help Morocco extend its high-speed rail network and upgrade infrastructure along the Kenitra-Marrakech corridor, part of Morocco's $10 billion investment plan ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Ghana's electricity and water sectors are undertaking a digital transformation through a new Regulatory Information Database Management System (RIDBMS) Phase II project, funded by the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation Trust Fund through the African Development Bank, aimed at improving regulation, service delivery, and consumer protection by enabling real-time data exchange between regulators, utility companies, and consumers.
The Mamprugu Moagduri District Assembly has implemented 23 major development projects across education, health, water and sanitation, and other sectors between January 2025 and June 2026, using GH¢13.7 million from the District Assemblies Common Fund and support from development partners.
Greater Accra relies on only two major landfill facilities and faces an acute shortage as the Kpone landfill is expected to shut down within the next six months after reaching full capacity, according to the Managing Director of Waste Landfills Company Ltd. The alternative 120-acre Adepa landfill, located beyond Nsawam, presents operational challenges due to its distance from Accra.
The Finance Ministry disclosed that $4.2 million transferred from the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project for Covid-19 expenditure under the Akufo-Addo administration remains unretired. Technical Advisor Frederick Amissah said there had been no delays in GARID fund releases, though nearly half of the $137 million drawn down was redirected to Covid-19 spending.
Ghana's Ministry of Finance alleges that the Akufo-Addo administration diverted $65 million from a World Bank-funded flood protection project (GARID) to finance Covid-19 activities. The Technical Advisor also cited another World Bank project where almost GH¢1 billion was spent on travel in 2024.
The Ministry of Finance rejected claims that government delayed funds under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, stating that funds have been released as expected. The ministry noted that GARID is a World Bank-funded loan worth $350 million that must be repaid, and said President Mahama's flood committee directed resources from the facility to support flood interventions.
A Ministry of Finance technical advisor has questioned how millions diverted from a World Bank-funded project to support Ghana's Covid-19 response were spent, citing a $3 million expenditure labeled only as "support" with no clear explanation.
Ghana's Ministry of Finance has applied to the Bank of Ghana for a licence to establish a Women's Development Bank as part of a financial inclusion initiative. The move has reopened debate over whether a new bank is needed, though proponents see it as addressing women entrepreneurs' limited access to finance.
The Ghana National Fire Service confirmed that at least 12 people have died and nearly 500 others have been rescued following extensive flooding in Greater Accra Region after Monday's heavy rains. Despite approximately US$990 million in multilateral financing for flood resilience and water infrastructure between 2000 and 2024, Ghana continues to suffer devastating floods.
Ghana has secured approximately $990 million in multilateral financing between 2000 and 2024 for flood resilience, sanitation, and water infrastructure, with about $723 million specifically targeted at Greater Accra and GAMA, yet the country continues to suffer devastating floods almost every rainy season.
GCB Bank has been named Regional Bank of the Year – West Africa at the 20th African Banker Awards in Brazzaville, Congo, recognition of the bank's market leadership, resilience, innovation and contribution to economic growth and financial inclusion in Ghana and the sub-region.
As of May 1, 2026, China implemented zero-tariff treatment across all eligible product lines for African exports, a move intended to enhance market access and price competitiveness. The policy raises broader questions about whether tariff elimination can drive industrial development and economic transformation beyond simply increasing export volumes.
At the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on 11–12 May 2026, Kenyan President William Ruto argued that Africa's development finance challenge is not a lack of liquidity but rather risk architecture. The summit highlighted that Africa holds nearly UA$4 trillion in domestic savings, suggesting the financing problem is about channeling existing capital rather than generating new supply.
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly has unveiled a Solid Waste Optimisation Strategy to reduce landfill volumes, promote source separation and composting, improve sanitation infrastructure, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of Accra's transition to a low-emissions waste sector.
A governance expert has submitted a policy proposal to Ghana's government urging it not to renew Gold Fields Ghana's mining lease over the Tarkwa Gold Mine when it expires in 2027, instead proposing the state assume sovereign majority ownership of the mine. The proposal comes as Gold Fields has applied for a 20-year extension, which has drawn opposition from civil society groups and academics.
Ghana has the highest policy rate among 44 African countries at 14.0%, according to the AfDB 2026 African Economic Outlook, though it has dropped significantly in the past year. The country's average lending rate remains elevated at 16.33% in April 2026, down from 20.58% in January 2026.
Ghana International Bank has signed a Confirming Bank Agreement with the African Development Bank under the Transaction Guarantee Instrument to expand support for African trade and cross-border commerce. The partnership aims to help businesses access international markets and address the trade finance gap constraining economic growth across Africa.
Ghana International Bank has signed a Confirming Bank Agreement with the African Development Bank under its Transaction Guarantee Instrument, positioning it to enhance support for importers, exporters and financial institutions engaged in cross-border trade across Africa. The partnership aims to improve access to trade finance, strengthen supply chains and advance the African Continental Free Trade Area objectives.
Ghana International Bank Plc has signed a Confirming Bank Agreement with the African Development Bank under the Transaction Guarantee Instrument to strengthen trade financing and support importers, exporters, and financial institutions engaged in cross-border commerce across Africa.
An opinion article argues that anti-immigrant violence in South Africa, driven by beliefs that foreign nationals displace local workers, threatens the informal traders, migrant entrepreneurs and township supply chains that sustain the country's economy.