Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan in Berlin

Finance Minister Participates in Special Session of AfDB Board of Governors

Minister of Finance Dr. Gebreil Ibrahim, representing Sudan, participated in the special session of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank (AfDB), held as part of the Bank’s annual meetings currently underway in Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of the Congo.
The session featured the presentation of several reports on the Bank’s financial and administrative performance by the acting Secretary-General and heads of specialized committees. The reports reviewed key achievements and challenges, as well as future plans aimed at strengthening the Bank’s efficiency and developmental role across Africa. Participants also praised the performance of Dr. Sidi Ould Tah during his first year as President of the African Development Bank Group, commending his efforts to enhance the institution’s developmental and economic role.During the session, the AfDB President outlined his strategic vision for the next decade, focusing on several key pillars, including strengthening governance and transparency, administrative reform, mobilizing domestic resources, and reinforcing infrastructure and financing systems to support financial sovereignty and sustainable development in African countries.Discussions emphasized the importance of mobilizing domestic resources, strengthening regional integration, and expanding economic partnerships with the private sector, in addition to supporting agricultural production, reducing financial risks, and empowering youth and women through greater integration into economic and productive activities.Participants also highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship programs and vocational training aligned with labor market needs, as well as improving administrative mechanisms within the Bank to make annual meetings more efficient and effective.
Several non-regional donor countries reaffirmed their continued support for the African Development Bank to facilitate implementation of its new ten-year strategy.
Discussions further stressed the need to strengthen energy supply chains, support food security projects, and create employment opportunities by focusing on priority sectors across Africa, particularly agriculture, mining, and tourism, alongside enhancing the role of national development banks and supporting humanitarian efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability in conflict-affected areas. In his remarks, Finance Minister Dr. Gebreil Ibrahim congratulated Dr. Sidi Ould Tah on assuming the presidency of the Bank, praising his prudent leadership during his first year in office. He underscored the importance of taking into account disparities in resources and economic capacities among member states during implementation of the Bank’s new vision to ensure balanced development opportunities and equitable benefits.
The minister also called on the Bank to adopt best practices in resource mobilization, with particular emphasis on supporting youth and women employment, expanding microfinance and small-scale financing projects, and encouraging bankable and growth-oriented investments. He further stressed the importance of conducting broad consultations regarding the Bank’s resource mobilization and financing vision, in addition to developing modern financial engineering tools to strengthen the Bank’s ability to respond to growing development challenges across the continent.
The minister concluded by emphasizing the need to give special attention to fragile and conflict-affected countries to ensure they are not marginalized and are fully integrated into development and stability pathways.
The African Development Bank includes all African countries alongside several non-regional donor countries, including the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Brazil, South Korea, Austria, and other countries supporting development efforts across Africa.