Keypoints:
- AUDA-NEPAD, AAMFI chart new financing plan
- Fund to back 13-nation infrastructure projects
- Move signals Africa’s drive for self-reliance
EXPERTS from the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and Africa’s leading multilateral financial institutions, members of the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI), also known as The Africa Club, convened on October 6, 2025 for a landmark three-day brainstorming session aimed at shaping the African Union Development Fund (AUDF).
The Fund is envisioned as a transformative, Africa-led financing mechanism that will mobilise continental resources for the realisation of Agenda 2063, Africa’s blueprint for inclusive growth and sustainable development. The session brings together leading policy architects, financial strategists, and infrastructure experts to align investment priorities, co-financing frameworks, and operational structures for the AUDF.
Among the main objectives of the meeting are to review AUDA-NEPAD’s priority infrastructure projects across 13 countries — including Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Comoros, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya — spanning the sectors of energy, transport, water, and digital connectivity.
It is also envisaged that the gathering will align development priorities with innovative financing modalities and co-investment opportunities under the AAMFI umbrella and finalise a roadmap for operationalising the AUDF as a sustainable platform for African-driven financing and growth.
Agenda 2063 at the core of new fund
In her opening remarks, Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, underscored the critical link between policy, finance, and development in Africa’s transformation journey.
‘Our collaboration with the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI) – The Africa Club – is a practical demonstration of how policy, development, and finance must move together,’ said Bekele-Thomas. ‘The African Union Development Fund will serve as the platform that unites these three pillars to drive Africa’s transformation.’
Luanda Summit to build on Dakar’s legacy
Bekele-Thomas elaborated on the growing momentum for Africa’s infrastructure revolution, emphasising that the AUDF discussions set the stage for the Luanda Financing Summit for Africa’s Infrastructure Development (LFS), scheduled for October 28–31, 2025.
The Luanda Summit, she explained, will build on the achievements of the 2023 Dakar Financing Summit by mobilising domestic, private, and blended capital — particularly for cross-border corridors such as the Lobito Corridor, energy access projects, and digital backbone infrastructure — all of which align with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
‘We are entering a transformative phase where financing and development are no longer separate,’ Bekele-Thomas remarked. ‘By combining our strengths — AAMFI’s financial tools and our development mandate — we are creating a unified, pragmatic solution for Africa’s infrastructure financing needs.’
Driving Africa’s path to economic independence
The Africa Club, comprising continental giants such as the Africa Finance Corporation, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Trade and Development Bank (TDB), African Reinsurance Corporation, Shelter Afrique Development Bank, ATIDI, ZEP-RE, Fonds de Solidarité Africain (FSA), and the East African Development Bank, represents the core of Africa’s financial ecosystem.
Together with AUDA-NEPAD, these institutions aim to strengthen Africa’s capacity to fund its own priorities, reducing dependency on external financing and reinforcing ownership of the continent’s development agenda.
The emerging African Union Development Fund is expected to become a cornerstone of Africa’s economic independence — bridging the gap between policy and implementation and ensuring that Agenda 2063 transitions from aspiration to tangible impact.
