African Transition States Step Up Debt Transparency Reforms After Kigali Workshop

The programme covered institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks, debt reporting systems, data governance, disclosure practices and public debt databases.

Around 150 policymakers, debt-management specialists and public finance stakeholders from 22 African transition states have completed a five-day workshop in Kigali focused on improving debt transparency, accountability and fiscal resilience at a time when public borrowing and financing pressures remain central to many countries' development plans.

Held from 28 September to 2 October, the third edition of the PFMA Spotlight Learning Series on Public Debt Management was organised by the African Development Bank Group through its African Development Institute and Public Finance Management Academy for Africa. The programme brought officials together to examine how stronger institutions, better data systems and clearer disclosure practices can improve the way governments manage public debt and communicate risks.

Workshop Examines Debt Risks From Reporting Gaps to Hidden Liabilities

Participants reviewed the state of debt transparency across Africa and shared country experiences on the practical challenges governments face when trying to improve reporting, accountability and public access to debt information.

The programme covered institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks, debt reporting systems, data governance, disclosure practices and public debt databases. Sessions also looked at domestic debt markets and issuance strategies, hidden and undisclosed debts, contingent liabilities, fiscal risks and the role of independent scrutiny in making debt management more accountable.

Judith Nabaasa, Chief Economist at Rwanda's Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, said debt transparency is essential to sound fiscal management because it gives governments, investors, oversight institutions and development partners better information for decision-making and can strengthen public confidence in how state resources are managed.

Countries Draft Practical Reform Plans for Better Debt Management

The workshop placed strong emphasis on practical exercises rather than discussion alone. Participants assessed the maturity of debt transparency systems in their own countries across governance, data quality, dissemination, digital systems, public access to information, fiscal risks, oversight and accountability.

They also examined how governments can balance the need for transparency with legitimate confidentiality requirements, an issue that often becomes important in debt negotiations and financial agreements.

Country teams used the sessions to draft reform action plans tailored to their own national systems. Peer learning and case studies allowed participants to compare different approaches, identify workable reforms and share lessons from countries that have already taken steps to strengthen integrity across the debt management cycle.

AfDB Links Transparency Reforms to Africa's Development Financing Agenda

Eric Ogunleye, Director of the African Development Institute, said stronger debt transparency and accountability are becoming increasingly important to Africa's wider development financing agenda. He said the PFMA Spotlight is designed to help transition states build the institutional capacity, technical systems and professional skills needed to manage debt more effectively and strengthen resilience against fiscal shocks.

Participants agreed to continue applying lessons from the Kigali workshop and push forward debt transparency reforms in their respective countries. Certificates were awarded at the end of the programme, marking the completion of the third edition of the series.

The PFMA Spotlight is part of the African Development Bank Group's broader capacity-building support for regional member countries, combining technical learning, peer exchange and country-level exercises to strengthen public finance institutions and encourage more sustainable debt management.

The initiative began in Addis Ababa in June 2024, followed by a second edition in Accra in July 2025. The Kigali meeting extends that effort by placing greater attention on the systems, oversight mechanisms and reform plans needed to make public debt more transparent and accountable across African transition states.