AfDB and IsDB Deepen Strategic Alliance to Tackle Fragility and Foster Resilience in Africa

The meeting underscored a shared vision between AfDB and IsDB to develop and implement context-sensitive strategies that reflect the unique challenges and opportunities in fragile environments.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) have reaffirmed and deepened their strategic partnership with a renewed commitment to addressing fragility and enhancing resilience across the African continent. This announcement follows a high-level technical exchange held from April 22 to 23, 2025, at the AfDB headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The two-day event convened senior-level delegations from both development finance institutions with the objective of harmonizing their approaches, sharing best practices, and exploring practical ways to address the growing challenges faced by fragile and transition states in Africa. Building on years of collaboration—including a pivotal 2019 Civil Society Division-led deep dive—this latest exchange marks a significant leap in institutional alignment and strategic ambition.

A Focus on Context-Specific, Sustainable Solutions

The meeting underscored a shared vision between AfDB and IsDB to develop and implement context-sensitive strategies that reflect the unique challenges and opportunities in fragile environments. According to Dr. Yero Baldeh, Director of the AfDB’s Transition States Coordination Office, “This strategic alliance with IsDB reinforces our shared vision of addressing complex challenges in transition states through tailored, context-specific approaches. By aligning our methodologies and leveraging our complementary strengths, we can deliver more sustainable solutions in places where development needs are most acute.”

This sentiment was echoed by Ahmed Berthe, Lead NGO and Civil Society Specialist at IsDB, who led the IsDB delegation alongside Senior Fragility and Resilience Specialists Esra Sayhi and Abass Kassim. “Our institutions serve many of the same member countries facing similar challenges,” Berthe said. “What has impressed us most is the African Development Bank’s shift toward anticipatory action and prevention rather than simply responding to crises.”

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Mobilizing Resources Through Complementary Financial Tools

Central to the discussions was the African Development Bank’s Transition Support Facility (TSF), a flagship initiative that committed over $610 million to fragile contexts in 2024 alone. The TSF supports countries in post-conflict or fragile situations by providing concessional financing and technical assistance to projects aimed at institutional capacity building and peacebuilding.

IsDB representatives explored how the TSF’s mechanisms could be synchronized with the Bank’s own instruments to strengthen joint operations in countries where both institutions are actively engaged. By coordinating financial tools and resource allocation, both institutions aim to maximize their impact while avoiding duplication.

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Joint Response to Climate Security and Regional Instability

Another pressing issue at the center of discussions was the impact of climate change on fragility, especially in regions such as the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. Recognizing the dual nature of environmental stress as both a driver and multiplier of conflict, the two banks committed to developing integrated responses that address the short-term humanitarian impacts and support long-term climate adaptation and resilience building.

As part of this, both institutions plan to invest in early warning systems, adaptive agricultural practices, and water security programs, as well as prioritize green infrastructure to shield vulnerable populations from further shocks.

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Operationalizing the Strategic Partnership

To translate these ambitions into tangible results, AfDB and IsDB agreed to establish a joint technical working group that will steer the operationalization of the strategic partnership. This group will be tasked with harmonizing fragility assessment methodologies, designing joint programming frameworks, and establishing joint monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

According to Ozong Agborsangaya-Fiteu, Chief Operations Officer at AfDB’s Transition States Coordination Office, the technical exchange is aligned with AfDB’s 2022–2026 Strategy for Addressing Fragility and Building Resilience in Africa. “By combining our institutional strengths with IsDB, we’re creating a more powerful platform for advancing resilience where it’s needed most,” she noted.

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A Vision for 2025 and Beyond

The collaboration will follow a structured implementation plan covering the 2025–2026 period. Both banks are committed to closely aligning their respective strategies for fragility and resilience during this period. The initiative supports AfDB’s broader shift toward proactive, preventative development—one that maintains presence in fragile contexts and works across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

In sum, the reinvigorated partnership between AfDB and IsDB exemplifies a model of multilateral cooperation designed to meet Africa’s fragility challenges head-on. Through shared knowledge, aligned strategies, and coordinated financing, the two institutions aim to unlock inclusive growth, build peace, and foster resilience for millions of Africans in the continent’s most vulnerable regions.