The United Kingdom will host the African Development Fund’s (ADF) 17th replenishment pledging session in December, bringing together donor countries to agree on financial contributions for the 2026–2028 cycle.
The announcement was made by the UK’s Minister of State for Development and Africa, Baroness Jenny Chapman, during a meeting with African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Baroness Chapman said the UK intends to make a strong pledge and urged development partners to consider ambitious contributions to the Fund’s next cycle.
“The replenishment is an opportunity to signal our collective commitment to Africa’s growth and development, its institutions, and to innovative, modern approaches to development finance in a challenging global environment,” said Baroness Chapman.
The African Development Fund, the concessional financing window of the African Development Bank (AfDB), supports 37 low-income African countries through grants, low-interest loans, and guarantees. Since its establishment in 1972, it has provided more than $45 billion in concessional financing aimed at expanding opportunity and resilience across the continent.
Baroness Chapman reaffirmed that the UK remains one of the Fund’s key contributors, providing both financial commitments and strategic engagement to sustain impact despite tighter global aid budgets.
Dr Ould Tah welcomed the UK’s announcement, describing it as a show of confidence in Africa’s development institutions.
“The African Development Bank Group welcomes the United Kingdom’s announcement to host the African Development Fund’s 17th replenishment pledging session,” he said. “It is a rallying call for a strong ADF-17 replenishment, which is not only an investment in Africa’s development but also in shared global prosperity.”
Ahead of the London session, development partners are working to advance the Fund’s financial innovations, particularly the Market Borrowing Option, which will allow the Fund to leverage its equity to access capital markets and expand its resource base for the first time.
Several African nations have also pledged to contribute to the Fund, underscoring the continent’s growing commitment to invest in its own development. Baroness Chapman further welcomed President Ould Tah’s proposal for the UK to host a Private Sector Day, which would convene private companies and development finance institutions to explore investment opportunities aligned with the Fund’s objective of expanding private sector participation in ADF countries.
The replenishment comes at a time of global economic strain and geopolitical uncertainty, when concessional finance remains critical to protecting development gains in fragile states.
Over the past decade, the African Development Fund has connected 18 million people to electricity, enhanced agricultural productivity for 11 million farmers, improved water and sanitation for 48 million people, and boosted transport access for over 87 million. In 2021, the Centre for Global Development ranked the Fund second out of 49 bilateral and multilateral development agencies for the quality of its assistance.
