Headliners expected in Brazzaville
Four days before the opening of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group, Brazzaville is preparing to welcome an impressive cast of financial decision-makers, ministers, bankers, diplomats, and heads of international institutions. An overview of the most anticipated personalities.
- Sidi Ould Tah – President of the AfDB Group and former Director General of BADEA. He will make his first major continental political appearance in Brazzaville since his election.
- Souleymane Diarrassouba – Ivorian Minister of Commerce and Industry, a key figure in Abidjan’s industrialization and local transformation strategy.
- Seedy K.M Keita – Gambian Finance Minister and Governor to the AfDB for The Gambia.
- Ludovic Ngatsé – Congolese Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the AfDB for Congo.
- Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe – Vice President of Botswana and Minister of Finance, considered one of the new African voices in budget discipline.
- Ndoba Hervé – Central African Minister of Finance and Budget and Alternate Governor to the AfDB.
- Baroness Chapman – UK government member in charge of International Development and African Affairs.
- Ryadh M. Alkhareif – Head of International Affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Finance.
- Boitumelo Mosako – CEO of the South African public bank DBSA.
- Bärbel Kofler – German official in charge of economic cooperation and development issues.
- George Agyekum Donkor – President of the ECOWAS Regional Development Bank (EBID).
- Federica Diamanti – Head of External Relations at the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
- Nobumitsu Hayashi – Governor of the Japanese international financing institution JBIC.
- Anna Bjerde – Operational number two at the World Bank Group.
- Hassatou Diop N’Sele – CFO of the African Development Bank Group.
- Jacques Edjangué – Head of Human Resources and Human Capital at the AfDB.
- Kevin K. Kariuki – Head of Energy, Climate, and Green Transition programs at the AfDB.
- Pushpam Kumar – Chief Environmental Economist at UNEP.
- Sangheon Lee – Chief Economist at ILO.
- Solomon Quaynor – Head of Private Sector and Infrastructure activities at the AfDB.
- Ahunna Eziakonwa – Director of the UN Development Programme Africa office.
- Andrew McDowell – Head of International Operations at the European Investment Bank.
- Claver Gatete – Head of the UN Economic Commission for Africa.
- Diene Keita – Senior UN official in charge of population and reproductive health issues.
- Joy Kategekwa – Head of Regional Integration issues at the AfDB.
- Emmi Oikari – Finnish official in charge of development financing and private partnerships.
- Felix Bikpo – President of the pan-African guarantee fund AGF.
- Elsebeth Søndergaard Krone – Danish diplomat in charge of development policies.
- Solomon Mugera – Head of Institutional Communication at the AfDB Group.
- Valérie Liechti – Diplomat involved in sustainable finance and cooperation issues.
- Obaid Amrane – Recognized actor in African energy financing and infrastructure.
- Patrice Cochelin – Expert in governance and sovereign rating issues.
- Paulo Gomes – Business banker and strategic advisor specializing in Africa.
- Gunnar Köhlin – Researcher specializing in environmental and climate policies.
- Rachel Kyte – Prominent British diplomat on climate issues.
- Shanti Bobin – French official in charge of multilateral affairs, development, and trade.
- Tapera Jeffrey Muzira – Coordinator of the AfDB’s youth employment initiatives.
- Thierno-Habib Hann – Head of the pan-African institution dedicated to housing finance.
- Zézé Stanislas – Founder and President of the African rating agency Bloomfield.
- Ben Aziz Konaté – Representative of the Ivorian young entrepreneurs association.
- Wiisichong Bening Ahmed – Head of the continental organization of African youth movements.
- Denise Epoté – Historic figure in Francophone Pan-African media.
- Kalidou Gadio – Consultant and actor in the African media sector.
The host country also intends to take advantage of the Meetings to send a signal to international markets. The Republic of Congo has indeed made a remarkable return to international capital markets. On May 20, 2026, Brazzaville announced the successful issuance of a $850 million international bond due in 2036, with a 9.5% coupon, in an operation that confirms the country’s repositioning among the most closely followed sovereign issuers in Central Africa. The operation, carried out under Regulation S and listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, reportedly attracted strong interest from international investors. The order book is said to have exceeded $1.6 billion, supported by nearly 80 investors, allowing for a significant tightening during the pricing process. This issuance is part of an active public debt management strategy and comes at a time when Brazzaville is seeking to improve its international financial visibility ahead of the AfDB Annual Meetings.
Congolese Minister of Economy and Planning, Ludovic Ngatsé, believes that the 2026 AfDB Annual Meetings are a strategic showcase to attract investors and financial partners to Brazzaville. He has advocated for Africa to better mobilize its internal resources and savings to finance its infrastructure and development, in a global context marked by a decline in international aid. Congo, which will host the meetings from May 25 to 29, also aims to accelerate its economic reforms, strengthen tax mobilization, and promote structuring projects in transportation, energy, mining, and agriculture.
$1.43 trillion
According to the African Development Bank’s 2025 Economic Outlook for Africa, Africa could mobilize nearly $1.43 trillion in national resources through targeted reforms. The Bank believes that reducing capital flight, improving economic governance, and better directing African savings towards productive investment would significantly strengthen the continent’s financial autonomy.
As a reminder, the 61st Annual Meeting of the AfDB Board of Governors and the 52nd Annual Meeting of the African Development Fund Board of Governors will be held at the Kintélé International Conference Center in Congo from May 25 to 29, 2026.
On the way to Brazzaville (Kiosk)
African Development Bank Annual Meetings
In Brazzaville, Africa wants to take back control
