The African Development Bank Group has highlighted the importance of stronger private-sector participation in humanitarian responses, noting that businesses can play a central role in stabilising economies and supporting recovery in crisis-affected regions.
This was outlined by the Bank’s Senior Vice President, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, during the fifth Geneva International Cooperation Forum held from February 26–27 at the Geneva International Conference Centre in Switzerland.
Akin-Olugbade participated in a high-level panel discussion on “Private-Sector Partnerships in Humanitarian Contexts,” alongside representatives from the private sector and development institutions.
The forum, organised by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs through its Agency for Development and Cooperation, explored ways to strengthen cooperation between governments, humanitarian actors and businesses in addressing global crises.
According to Akin-Olugbade, “behind every crisis, there are collapsing markets and lost jobs.”
She noted that in Africa, where nearly 80 percent of the population works in the private sector, businesses play an important role in prevention, stabilisation and recovery during humanitarian crises.
Akin-Olugbade explained that the Bank’s strategy is not to replace humanitarian organisations but to complement their work by intervening at the appropriate time and with suitable financial instruments.
The Bank cited several examples of its work in fragile contexts. In Madagascar, support through the Bank’s Transition Support Facility has enabled more than 300 very small and medium-sized enterprises to access bank financing that had previously been unavailable.
In Sudan, a partnership with the DAL Group has supported efforts to stabilise agricultural value chains despite the country’s ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, in the Sahel region, collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross illustrates how the Bank combines its financial instruments with humanitarian expertise on the ground.
According to the Bank, these interventions aim to revive local economies, restore essential services and reduce the risk of a relapse into crisis.
Participants at the forum agreed that the private sector should not be viewed solely as a donor but as a partner capable of contributing expertise and innovation to humanitarian efforts.
They also stressed that cooperation with the private sector should complement, rather than replace, partnerships with governments and humanitarian organisations in responding to crises.
