AfDB, ODI Global Partner to Fund Africa's Debt and Financing Solutions
On Tuesday, 6 October 2026, the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and ODI Global signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop financing instruments and policy approaches that help African countries manage rising debt pressures, high borrowing costs, and shrinking access to concessional finance. The partnership combines AfDB’s operational experience with ODI Global’s independent research to focus on the cost of capital, private‑capital mobilisation, and financing for nations facing structural vulnerabilities and economic transitions.
The collaboration targets Africa’s estimated $400 billion annual financing gap, supporting the Bank’s New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD) and highlighting Nigeria’s own efforts—such as the Ministry of Finance Incorporated Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF) providing ₦128 billion in affordable mortgages to 1,859 families across 25 states and listing a ₦1 trillion Series 2 fund on the NGX in 2025. The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise has also urged stable energy costs and better access to affordable financing for productive‑sector businesses.
By exploring tools like portfolio offloading, insurance, guarantees and other risk‑sharing mechanisms, the partnership aims to expand capital‑market access and increase the use of blended and concessional finance, ultimately giving countries more room to set investment priorities without deepening financial vulnerabilities.
Will Nigeria's existing mortgage and housing funds be enough to close the financing gap, or will new blended finance instruments from this partnership unlock more affordable credit for businesses and homebuyers?