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Following the successful conclusion of the 17th replenishment of the African Development Fund (ADF-17), which raised $11 billion for Africa’s most vulnerable nations, the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, in partnership with the Government of the United Kingdom, convened global investors and private sector leaders in London to launch a new phase of private capital mobilisation for the continent’s development.
The inaugural Africa Private Capital Mobilisation Day, held on 17 December at Lancaster House, brought together more than 150 senior decision-makers from private equity firms, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurers, philanthropies, and development finance institutions and export credit agencies. The event marked a decisive shift from dialogue to execution, signalling a concerted effort to unlock Africa’s untapped investment potential.
Hosted by the AfDB in partnership with UK institutions, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Export Finance, and British International Investment, the event reflected a shared ambition to scale private capital flows into African economies.
Speaking at the opening, AfDB President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah described the initiative as a natural continuation of the ADF-17 process and a critical step toward addressing Africa’s estimated $402 billion annual development financing gap.
“We will build on recent engagements with development finance institutions, export credit agencies, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurers, and philanthropic partners to advance concrete initiatives under our vision for a New African Financial Architecture,” Dr. Ould Tah said.
The Africa Private Capital Mobilisation Day aligns with President Ould Tah’s Four Cardinal Points vision, which focuses on unlocking Africa’s capital potential, strengthening financial sovereignty, transforming demographic growth into a dividend, and delivering resilient infrastructure and value chains.
UK Minister for Development, Jenny Chapman, added: “We are delighted that President Ould Tah chose to hold the first Private Capital Mobilisation Day here in London, recognising the critical role of the City of London in mobilising investment for Africa.
The UK’s shifting role—from donor to investor—will support countries who want to grow their economies and ultimately exit the need for aid.”
The programme featured focused discussions on reshaping perceptions of risk in Africa, designing innovative financial platforms, and mobilising capital in fragile and frontier markets. New analysis from the Global Emerging Markets Risk Database, delivered by the Center for Global Development, showed that long-term lending to African borrowers has historically been significantly less risky than commonly perceived.
Sector-focused sessions highlighted healthcare and aviation as strategic drivers of Africa’s economic resilience, productivity, and integration. Two flagship initiatives were presented: Africa Medicines and Equipment Facility, developed with the Gates Foundation, aims to provide predictable, timely, and affordable financing to secure essential medicines and medical equipment across African nations; Integrated Aviation Transformation Programme for Africa, supported by a blended-finance facility, seeks to modernise and expand Africa’s aviation ecosystem—from airports and airlines to enabling services critical for trade, tourism, and regional integration.
In a closed-door roundtable, President Ould Tah engaged senior executives from approximately 30 leading institutional investors to explore the launch of an Africa-focused Private Sector Innovation Lab. The platform is intended to co-create new financing instruments, partnership models, and risk-sharing solutions tailored to African markets.
The outcomes of the Africa Private Capital Mobilisation Day were captured in the London Communiqué, setting out clear commitments by the AfDB and its partners to scale private capital mobilisation. Moving forward, priority actions and implementation pathways will turn ambition into scalable capital and risk mitigation solutions, accelerating Africa’s journey toward sustainable development.
