AfDB and Brazil Deepen Mali Cooperation on Food, Jobs and Energy

Hosted by the Bank Group’s Mali country office, the meeting focused on implementing the Memorandum of Cooperation signed by the Bank Group and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency in Abidjan on 12 June 2026.

Stronger food systems, opportunities for businesses and skills that help young people find work are at the centre of closer cooperation between the African Development Bank and Brazil in Mali. Representatives from the Bank and the Brazilian Embassy met in Bamako on 9 September 2026 to discuss how their partnership can support the country's development priorities, with agriculture, private sector growth and climate action among the main areas of focus. The talks connected these shared interests with a cooperation agreement that also covers employment, skills development and Mali's energy transition.

Bringing Brazilian expertise into Mali's development plans

Hosted by the Bank Group's Mali country office, the meeting focused on implementing the Memorandum of Cooperation signed by the Bank Group and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency in Abidjan on 12 June 2026. The agreement provides a framework for South-South cooperation, through which Brazil's technical expertise and the Bank's development experience can support priorities identified by Mali. For people whose livelihoods depend on farming, access to work or the ability to grow a business, the areas covered by the partnership touch on practical concerns that shape household incomes and economic opportunities.

Moving from an agreement to practical planning

Brazil's delegation was led by Isabel Christina de A. Heyvaert, Chargé d'Affaires, with Cedric Achille Mbeng Mezui, the Bank Group's country manager for Mali, leading the Bank's team. Their discussions confirmed the priority areas for stronger cooperation and prepared the ground for further planning talks between the two institutions. The meeting marked a step in developing the partnership, with the work centred on translating its broad commitments into more detailed cooperation around agriculture and food systems, business development, climate action, employment and energy.

Putting young people's skills at the centre

The partnership's priorities align with Mali Vision 2063, the National Strategy for Emergence and Sustainable Development 2024–2033, and the African Development Bank Group's country strategy for Mali 2026–2031, approved by its Board in April 2026. The Bank's strategy concentrates support on agriculture, transport and energy infrastructure, and technical and vocational education and training, giving particular attention to young people's entrepreneurial, digital and creative skills. That emphasis places preparation for working life alongside investment in the infrastructure and productive sectors that can support economic activity, giving the cooperation talks a clear connection to Mali's wider development plans.