Partnerships

AfDB Partnership Strategy

The Bank’s partnership portfolio has considerably increased in diversity and complexity in recent years, largely due to its enhanced institutional credibility and visibility as Africa’s premier development finance institution.  A growing number of various types of partners are willing to renew and strengthen their cooperation with us. In particular, since 2007, the institution has enjoyed rapidly growing requests to build partnerships from around the world; and its partnerships have emerged in the domains of trust funds, co-financing, technical cooperation, secondment, staff exchanges, special initiatives, and research and knowledge partnerships. 

The objectives of the Bank’s partnership strategy are to:   

• Re-position the Bank as Africa’s premier development finance institution in the increasingly dynamic and complex global partnership landscape;
• Focus its partnership management in alignment with the Bank’s priorities and ongoing institutional reforms so as to avoid strategic drift;
• Proactively and strategically manage partners’ rapidly growing demands and high expectations in partnering with the Bank; and
• Demonstrate the results achieved through partnership to both internal and external stakeholders, including our client regional member countries.

AfDB’s Partners

The Bank’s partners include traditional ones, such as G7 countries, bilateral donors and United Nations agencies that have renewed their interest in collaborating with the institution. Such countries as China, Korea, India and Brazil, as well as non-member states (e.g. Australia and Singapore) have all expressed their eagerness to work closely with the institution.  Private foundations and academic institutions are equally interested in formalizing knowledge partnerships.  Pan-African, sub-regional and national institutions in Africa (e.g. African Union/NEPAD, regional development banks and knowledge institutions) have become increasingly important partners of the Bank.

Some Partnership Achievements

The Bank’s achievements in the partnership business include:

• Enhanced responsiveness to donors/partners and more proactive management of partnership agreements;
• High quality communications with the Bank’s organizational units and Field Offices, donors, and partners;
• Launch of an annual AfDB Partnerships Forum and an annual publication of “Partnerships and Cooperation Opportunities with the AfDB” in 2009;
• Enhancement of structured co-financing arrangements;
• Implementation of the Technical Cooperation Funds Reform Program and rationalization of Trust Funds; and
• Effective implementation of Business Opportunities Seminars for partner countries.