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Courtesy call on State Minister for Foreign Affairs KUNIMITSU by H.E. Mrs. APALOO, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Ghana to Japan
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On December 24, Dr. KUNIMITSU Ayano, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy call from H.E. Mrs. Genevieve Edna APALOO, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Ghana to Japan. The overview of the courtesy call is as follows:
- State Minister KUNIMITSU expressed her desire to further promote Japan-Ghana relations, including the dispatch of a public-private joint mission to Ghana scheduled for January 2026, while also touching upon her own experience visiting Ghana during her time as a medical student.
- Ambassador Apaloo expressed her gratitude for Japan's support thus far and stated her intention to strive for the further deepening of Japan-Ghana relations.
- Both parties concurred to further enhance relations between the two countries in various fields leading up to the commemorative year of 2027, which marks the 100th anniversary of Dr. NOGUCHI Hideyo's stay in Ghana, the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the 50th anniversary of the dispatch of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) to Ghana.
African Development Fund mobilises a historic $11 billion, marking a new era of African ownership and investment-led development
The African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional financing arm of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org), has secured a record $11 billion from 43 Partners for its 17th Replenishment (ADF-17), the largest in the Fund's history, despite severe global fiscal constraints and declining aid budgets.
The outcome represents a 23% increase over the previous replenishment and sends a clear signal of confidence in Africa's development prospects, the African Development Bank Group's leadership, and a new development model centred on investment, risk-sharing, and scale.
“This is not just a replenishment,” said Dr Sidi Ould Tah, President of the African Development Bank Group. “It is a turning point. In one of the most difficult global environments for development finance, our partners chose ambition over retrenchment, and investment over inertia.”
Africa steps forward as a co-investor in its own future
For the first time in the Fund's history, 23 African countries have made unprecedented contributions to their own concessional financing window.
A total of $182.7 million was pledged by African countries, with 19 countries contributing for the first time, alongside long-standing regional contributors. This represents a five-fold increase compared to the previous replenishment.
“This is not symbolic,” Dr Ould Tah said. “This is transformational. Africa is no longer only a beneficiary of concessional finance. Africa is a co-investor in its own future.”
From aid to investment: a new financial era for concessional finance
ADF-17 marks a structural shift in how concessional resources will be used. Partners endorsed a new financial model that allows the African Development Fund to:
- Leverage its balance sheet, including through a Market Borrowing Option to be operationalised during this cycle;
- Deploy innovative instruments, including hybrid capital;
- Use concessional finance strategically to absorb risk, crowd in private capital, and catalyse investment at scale.
Each dollar invested through the Fund already unlocks more than $2.50 in co-financing and private capital, a ratio expected to increase further under the new model.
“This allows concessional finance to do what it must do best,” Dr Ould Tah said: “Absorb risk, unlock private investment, and accelerate development at scale.”
New generation of large-scale partnerships
ADF-17 also anchors, for the first time, large-scale concessional co-financing partnerships alongside the Fund.
Development finance partners announced major commitments, including:
- Up to $800 million from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA);
- Up to $2 billion from the OPEC Fund for International Development.
These partnerships signal the launch of a new generation of scaled, risk-sharing collaboration, significantly strengthening the Fund's ability to deliver transformational projects in the most challenging environments.
Delivering impact where it matters most
Resources mobilised under ADF-17 will support 37 low-income and fragile African countries, with a focus on:
- Expanding access to energy;
- Strengthening food systems and food security;
- Investing in human capital;
- Advancing regional integration and trade;
- Building resilient infrastructure.
Targeted support will continue for countries facing fragility and vulnerability, including through the Transition Support Facility.
A global signal of confidence
Co-hosted by the United Kingdom and Ghana, the London pledging session concluded a year-long replenishment process conducted amid exceptional global uncertainty.
Baroness Jenny Chapman, the United Kingdom's Minister of State for International Development and Africa, said: “The UK is proud to co-host the 17th replenishment of the African Development Fund alongside the Republic of Ghana. We have a long-standing partnership with the African Development Bank and support it in driving sustainable and inclusive growth on the continent – for the benefit of the UK and our African partners.”
Thomas Nyarko Amprem, Ghana's Deputy Minister of Finance, said: “The African Development Fund is a strategic instrument of the African Development Bank Group to reduce vulnerability on the continent.”
“The success of ADF-17 confirms strong international confidence in the Fund's strategic direction and in Africa's potential to deliver results at scale,” Dr Ould Tah said. “This replenishment goes beyond aid. It is a strategic investment, with measurable returns in stability, growth, trade, and global resilience.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).Media Contacts:
Communication and External Relations Department
media@afdb.org
About the African Development Fund:
Established in 1972, the African Development Fund has provided more than $45 billion in grants, concessional loans, and guarantees to Africa's lowest-income countries. It remains a cornerstone of African-led multilateral development finance and a central instrument of the African Development Bank Group's mission to drive inclusive and sustainable growth across the continent.