AfDB and IFRC deepen partnership to strengthen resilience in Africa

AfDB officials said the next stage of cooperation will focus on turning years of collaboration into large-scale joint projects that reach vulnerable communities more effectively.

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have agreed to deepen their partnership with a new action plan designed to strengthen climate resilience, humanitarian response and sustainable development across Africa.

The renewed collaboration follows a high-level meeting led by IFRC Under-Secretary-General Nena Stoiljkovic, bringing together senior leaders from both organisations to identify practical ways of combining development finance with community-based humanitarian action. The discussions took place on Africa Integration Day and marked a new phase in a partnership that began with a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2013.

Partnership moves from planning to action

AfDB officials said the next stage of cooperation will focus on turning years of collaboration into large-scale joint projects that reach vulnerable communities more effectively. Dr Yero Baldeh, Director of the Bank's Transition States Coordination Office, said Africa continues to face overlapping challenges, including climate shocks, displacement, food and water insecurity, public health emergencies and persistent fragility. He noted that these complex issues require coordinated solutions that combine financing, humanitarian assistance, climate adaptation and stronger community resilience.

Senior Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade said the Bank's financial resources, policy expertise and relationships with governments can complement IFRC's extensive community network operating across all 54 African countries, creating greater impact where it is needed most.

Focus on climate, health and fragile regions

The two organisations identified several areas where their strengths can work together more effectively. These include expanding climate early warning systems, improving disaster preparedness, strengthening food security, supporting community health programmes and addressing the root causes of fragility.

The partnership also links the Bank's investments in weather forecasting and national meteorological services in 17 African countries with IFRC's network of volunteers and community responders. The organisations will also work together in fragile regions such as the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, combining infrastructure investment with local humanitarian operations.

Stoiljkovic said IFRC volunteers remain present in communities before, during and after crises, providing a foundation for expanding joint programmes that move beyond small pilot projects to reach much larger populations.

New roadmap for the next three years

The mission concluded with the adoption of a Joint Action Plan for 2026–2028, setting out practical priorities for cooperation across multiple sectors. AfDB said the updated roadmap supports its Ten-Year Strategy, the Four Cardinal Points, and the New Financial Architecture for Africa's Development (NAFAD) by accelerating projects that improve resilience, strengthen local institutions and support inclusive development across the continent.