AfDB and Japan Expand Partnership to Boost Investment in Africa

The partnership reflects shared priorities in quality infrastructure, resilient supply chains, institutional development and private sector growth.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group and Japan are strengthening their long-standing partnership to attract more private investment into Africa, accelerate infrastructure development and help countries turn development plans into projects that deliver lasting economic growth.

The expanded collaboration combines concessional financing, private sector investment, technical assistance, project preparation and knowledge sharing, giving African countries stronger support to develop investment-ready projects while connecting local industries to regional and global value chains.

Focus on Investment and Infrastructure

The partnership reflects shared priorities in quality infrastructure, resilient supply chains, institutional development and private sector growth. It also builds on commitments made during the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held in Yokohama in August 2025, where African and Japanese leaders placed greater emphasis on implementation and mobilising private capital.

Recent progress has already translated into business activity. During the Africa Investment Forum 2025 Market Days in Rabat, Japanese companies, investors and development partners explored new investment opportunities while discussing ways to strengthen Africa's role in regional and international supply chains.

Among the projects highlighted were Kenya's 35-megawatt Menengai Geothermal Plant, developed with Toyota Tsusho and Fuji Electric, and Côte d'Ivoire's Agricultural Growth Programme supported by NEC Corporation.

Decades of Partnership Continue to Grow

Japan became a member of the African Development Fund in 1973 and joined the African Development Bank in 1982. Since then, the partnership has expanded to include grants, concessional loans, private sector co-financing and technical support delivered through initiatives such as the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance for Africa (EPSA), the Fund for African Private Sector Assistance (FAPA) and the Policy and Human Resource Development Grant.

Japan is also one of the largest contributors to the African Development Fund, committing around $600 million in grant resources and debt relief support, alongside a concessional loan of approximately $583 million under the Fund's seventeenth replenishment.

Private Sector at the Heart of Growth

The Enhanced Private Sector Assistance for Africa initiative remains the flagship platform for attracting private investment across the continent. Its sixth phase, launched during TICAD 9, targets $5.5 billion in co-financing between 2026 and 2028 for sectors including energy, transport, agriculture, healthcare and digital connectivity.

The Fund for African Private Sector Assistance continues to prepare investment-ready projects and strengthen businesses through grants supporting clean technologies, startups, business incubators and small enterprises. Since its launch in 2005, Japan has contributed $128 million to the fund.

Turning Plans into Results

AfDB President Dr Sidi Ould Tah said projects developed with Japanese partners demonstrate how Africa's opportunities, Japan's technology and the Bank Group's financing can create meaningful development outcomes.

Looking ahead, both partners will place greater emphasis on implementation, helping African countries access long-term financing, technical expertise and stronger private sector networks that can transform development priorities into completed projects and sustainable economic opportunities.