AfDB meets under Ebola's cloud as Africa hunts for development cash at home

African Development Bank meets as shrinking aid, Ebola cast long shadows

Global ODA dropped nearly 25% to $174.3B last year — led by US cuts including to AfDB — as the bank's annual meeting opens in Congo Republic amid a cross-border Ebola outbreak. AfDB's proposed NAFAD architecture targets Africa-sourced capital to close a $400B annual financing gap, marking a structural shift away from Western donor dependency that will directly shape infrastructure, energy and digital investment timelines across the continent.