Africa: African Development Bank Convenes African and Asian Experts to Discuss Mobilising Development Finance At Scale

What the report says

The African Development Bank Group and the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) brought together African and Asian economic experts in an online seminar focused on how Africa can raise development finance at scale. According to AllAfrica’s report, the event was part of the fifth edition of the Bank’s African Economic Outlook seminar for Asian audiences and was co-hosted by the Bank’s Asia External Representation Office and its Macroeconomic Policy, Forecasting and Research Department.

The discussion centered on the African Economic Outlook 2026, titled “Mobilizing Africa’s Development Financing at Scale in a Fragmented World.” The report, as cited in the article, projects Africa’s real GDP growth to ease to 4.2% in 2026 from 4.4% in 2025, before rising again in 2027. Speakers from Africa and Asia emphasized that the continent’s challenge is not simply attracting more money, but channeling capital into projects with stronger institutions, governance and long-term reform.

Officials and experts participating in the seminar said Africa should strengthen its ability to prepare bankable projects, widen private and institutional investment, and use innovative financing tools to turn development needs into sustainable investments. The Bank also framed the issue in the context of a more fragmented global economy, where African and Asian economic ties are becoming more interdependent.

The broader significance, based on the report, is that the African Development Bank is using these regional dialogues to support policy debate on financing, investment readiness and structural transformation across the continent. Any additional background on the Bank and KIEP is general context and not an original claim by 256 Newsroom.