African Finance Ministers Meet AfDB President on Debt and Development at IMF-World Bank Meetings

WASHINGTON, DC. — Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, chaired a high-level meeting between the new African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, and the finance ministers of the Bank’s Constituency 15 on Tuesday. The dialogue took place on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings.

The meeting convened top fiscal policymakers from five nations: Ghana, The Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Sudan, with Minister Ngafuan presiding as Chair of the constituency.

According to a statement from Liberia’s Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), the discussions were “frank and forward-looking,” centering on two critical issues:

1. Mobilizing resources for Africa’s development.
2. Tackling the continent’s mounting debt challenges.

Minister Ngafuan underscored the urgency of the debt issue. “We delved deeply into the critical issue of debt sustainability, pressing for the AfDB’s robust support for debt restructuring programs that can provide fiscal breathing room for our nations, including my own, Liberia,” he stated.

The finance ministers also discussed strategies to accelerate the implementation of AfDB-funded projects across member countries to ensure the faster delivery of results and improved livelihoods for citizens.

Attendees included Dr. Cassiel Oto Forson of Ghana, Gibril Ibrahim of Sudan, Seedy K. M. Keita of The Gambia, and Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura of Sierra Leone.

Ngafuan emphasized the necessity of collective action among member states to strengthen the constituency’s influence within the AfDB and enhance coordination with the Bank’s leadership. “This dialogue reinforced my belief that a unified voice is essential for advancing our developmental priorities,” Ngafuan concluded.

The engagement was one of the first between the newly appointed President Tah and constituency finance ministers. It signals a shared commitment to fostering sustainable financing, stronger governance, and inclusive economic growth across Africa.