The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) have announced a joint $610 million initiative aimed at addressing climate-induced fragility and enhancing resilience across Africa’s most vulnerable regions, particularly the Sahel and Horn of Africa.
The initiative was formalized during a high-level technical meeting held from April 22–23 at AfDB’s headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, with the official announcement made via AfDB’s Facebook page on Wednesday.
Senior officials from both banks gathered to align strategies, exchange best practices, and strengthen collaboration on addressing the complex issues facing fragile and conflict-affected states. The new funding will target climate adaptation, sustainable resource management, and community-based resilience projects.
According to the AfDB, the initiative builds on a series of past collaborations, including a 2019 civil society dialogue. The new partnership emphasizes coordinated investments and integrated approaches to address the interlinked challenges of environmental degradation and socio-economic instability.
“The alliance with IsDB underscores our shared commitment to supporting fragile states through tailored, context-specific strategies,” said Yero Baldeh, Director of the Transition States Coordination Office at AfDB. “By combining strengths, we aim to deliver more sustainable and impactful solutions.”
Ahmed Berthe, IsDB’s Lead NGO and Civil Society Specialist, who led the IsDB delegation, noted: “Our institutions serve many of the same countries facing similar threats. What stands out is AfDB’s shift to proactive, preventive action rather than reactive crisis response.”
The collaboration is set to leverage AfDB’s Transition Support Facility (TSF), which allocated over \$610 million to projects in fragile contexts in 2024. Discussions during the meeting focused on how IsDB’s tools could complement TSF efforts to increase synergies and operational efficiency in shared regions.
The two banks also agreed to establish a joint technical working group to coordinate financial instruments, align assessment methods, and implement climate security-focused strategies.
“This partnership aligns with our 2022–2026 strategy for addressing fragility and building resilience,” said Ozong Agborsangaya-Fiteu, Chief Operations Officer at RDTS. “By joining forces with IsDB, we are creating a stronger platform for meaningful, lasting impact.”
