The African Development Bank and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) are seeking ways to further strengthen collaboration and advancing investment in youth and women across the African continent.
The was stated during the meeting between the AfDB President, Sidi Ould Tah and UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita on her first official visit to the Bank since her appointment in August.
Their discussions focused on critical socio-development issues, including Africa’s youth bulge, family health, education and employment.
During the bilateral meeting, Ould Tah, who took office on September 1, succeeding Dr. Akin Adesina, emphasized the importance of partnerships and the existing relationship between the Bank and the UN population agency which began in 1988. This partnership was later cemented in 1992, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and the two institutions have collaborated on several projects ever since.
According to a statement by the AfDB, deepening partnerships and accelerating real solutions are two of Dr. Ould Tah’s four core priorities for his first 100 days in office. “I am delighted with the quality of the partnership that already exists between the African Development Bank Group and UNFPA,” he said.
Keita, who holds the rank of Under-Secretary-General, was appointed as Executive Director effective 29 August 2025, by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Congratulating Keita on her appointment, Ould Tah said, her experience was vital in leading UNFPA, “especially in these difficult times, when we need expertise, commitment and the ability to develop partnerships.”
The Bank’s President highlighted notable partnership examples of the two organisations in Africa, such as the “2 Hours for Life” program implemented in Benin, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire, which deploys drones to remote areas eliminating delays in emergency obstetric care.
“Today, we have an opportunity to change the paradigm and bring a new dimension to the partnership between UNFPA and the African Development Bank Group, notably by making these two institutions the core of a broad partnership for all other partners concerned with issues related to youth and women, maternal and child health,” he said.
On her part, Keita reiterated the importance of partnerships to address the crisis of multilateralism and the need to mobilise resources internationally for their joint mandates. She outlined several areas for proposed collaboration, including youth, health financing, women’s empowerment, climate resilience, peace and security.
“Working with the Bank and opening up this future partnership with all the agencies working together is imperative. We are concerned about population and maternal health, and we must work together to ensure that these issues are addressed,” she stated.
The AfDB President also announced that an African Development Bank team would work hand in hand with UNFPA to develop a new partnership framework document, to identify pilot projects, which may likely start with Côte d’Ivoire, the host country.
