AfDB and World Bank Expand Research Partnership for Africa

The expanded partnership will concentrate on a wide range of issues that continue to shape Africa’s economic future.

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the World Bank have agreed to deepen their collaboration on economic research and policy development aimed at addressing some of Africa's most urgent challenges. The agreement was announced following a high-level meeting at the African Development Bank's headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Senior officials from both institutions discussed ways to strengthen cooperation on research, policy analysis and country-level support across the continent. Under the new arrangement, the two organizations will hold regular technical meetings, jointly develop annual research programmes, carry out shared country missions and improve coordination of their operations in African countries.

Focus on Jobs, Growth and Economic Resilience

The expanded partnership will concentrate on a wide range of issues that continue to shape Africa's economic future. These include domestic resource mobilization, debt sustainability, fiscal resilience, public service delivery and access to finance and technology for small and medium-sized businesses. Youth employment and the continent's growing population will also be major priorities. Both institutions see job creation as one of the most important challenges facing African economies, particularly as millions of young people enter the labour market each year.

The collaboration will also cover climate change, energy transition policies and strategies to help African countries respond to an increasingly complex and fragmented global economic environment. Officials said closer coordination will reduce duplication of research efforts while ensuring that policy recommendations are better aligned and more effective.

Knowledge Sharing to Support Africa's Future

During the meeting, World Bank representatives presented a strategy focused on strengthening resilience, improving domestic resource management and supporting large-scale employment growth. African Development Bank Chief Economist Professor Kevin Chika Urama shared findings from the institution's latest economic outlook reports and presented research examining the impact of Middle East conflicts on African economies, the proposed African Financing Stability Mechanism and the role of natural capital in measuring Africa's green wealth.

He noted that many of the Bank's recent studies were developed in consultation with African governments and major international partners, including the African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Labour Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The partnership is expected to continue building momentum through upcoming events, including the African Economic Conference in Abidjan in July 2026. The conference will also feature the launch of the African Chief Economists Network, an initiative designed to strengthen Africa's capacity for evidence-based policymaking and enhance the continent's role in producing and shaping its own economic knowledge. Both institutions said stronger collaboration will help provide governments with better research, more coordinated policy advice and practical solutions to support sustainable economic growth across Africa.