Africa: African Development Bank Convenes African Debt Management Practitioners in Kigali to Strengthen Debt Transparency and Accountability

What the report says

The African Development Bank says about 150 policymakers, debt-management specialists and public finance stakeholders from 22 African transition states have completed a five-day workshop in Kigali, Rwanda, focused on debt transparency and accountability. The learning event took place from 28 September to 2 October and was part of the third PFMA Spotlight Learning Series on Public Debt Management.

According to the report, the program was organized by the Bank Group’s African Development Institute and the Public Finance Management Academy for Africa. Sessions examined the debt-management cycle, including legal and institutional frameworks, reporting systems, data governance, disclosure practices, domestic debt markets, hidden and undisclosed debts, fiscal risks, and oversight mechanisms. Participants also reviewed how different countries are addressing debt transparency challenges.

The workshop included practical exercises on transparency maturity, peer learning and country case studies. Delegates drafted reform action plans for use back home and agreed to continue advancing the reforms. Rwanda’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, through Chief Economist Judith Nabaasa, described debt transparency as important to sound fiscal management and public confidence. Eric Ogunleye of the AfDB said the initiative supports transition states in building capacity to manage debt more effectively and strengthen fiscal resilience.

The article notes that the PFMA Spotlight is part of the Bank’s broader capacity-building support for member countries, following earlier editions in Addis Ababa in 2024 and Accra in 2025.