A high-profile meeting in New York
On 22 September, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, African Development Bank President Sidi Ould Tah held his first bilateral with Congo’s Head of State, Denis Sassou Nguesso. Public statements from both sides emphasised a “quality partnership” and the desire to scale up financial cooperation in the short term.
Ould Tah, who assumed office on 1 September, publicly thanked Brazzaville for the decisive diplomatic support that helped secure his election in May. He described the relationship as a test case for his vision of “results-oriented, high-impact” development finance (AfDB press release, 23 September).
Congo’s strategic weight in the AfDB portfolio
The Republic of Congo currently chairs the AfDB Board of Governors, a position that gives Brazzaville influence on strategic orientations. The national portfolio stands at roughly USD 1.2 billion, dominated by transport corridors, energy interconnections and water projects, according to AfDB data reviewed by regional business outlets.
Ould Tah said that the portfolio’s performance indicators are “above the regional average”, citing a disbursement rate near 40 percent in 2023. He signalled readiness to approve new commitments once ongoing projects reach key milestones.
Brazzaville prepares for AfDB Annual Meetings
The next AfDB Annual Meetings are slated for May 2025 in Brazzaville. The Congolese government has pledged to upgrade conference facilities, telecommunications and airport logistics to international standards, seeking to showcase the capital as a regional finance hub.
Minister of Economy Ingrid Olivia Ebouka-Babackas told local media that a dedicated inter-ministerial task force meets weekly to monitor progress and secure sponsorships from hotel operators and telecom companies. Early cost estimates hover around XAF 25 billion, to be financed through a mix of budget reallocations and AfDB technical grants.
Flagship bridge over the Congo River gains pace
The binational bridge linking Brazzaville and Kinshasa, long championed by Africa50, remains the portfolio’s signature project. Engineering studies have reached 75 percent completion, an AfDB official confirmed. The financial close is targeted for late 2024, subject to final environmental and social clearance.
Total cost is estimated at USD 550 million, with AfDB expected to provide a USD 210 million sovereign loan. Africa50 arranges a further USD 150 million from institutional investors, while both governments earmark counterpart funding. The asset will operate under a public–private partnership model with a 25-year concession.
Corridor 13: unlocking Central African trade
Beyond the river crossing, AfDB leads Corridor 13, a 1 400-kilometre road and fibre backbone linking N’Djamena, Bangui and Brazzaville. Procurement for the first 300-kilometre section in northern Congo is due early 2025.
The corridor could trim freight times between the Sahel and Atlantic ports by 30 percent, according to simulations by the Central African Economic and Monetary Community. Officials see the project as a catalyst for agrologistics clusters and special economic zones in Oyo and Ouesso.
Funding outlook and macro-fiscal context
Congo’s public-debt-to-GDP ratio fell below 70 percent in 2023 after a series of restructurings backed by the IMF. The improved outlook paves the way for fresh concessional borrowing from AfDB’s African Development Fund window.
Finance Minister Rigobert Roger Andely highlighted prudent debt management rules adopted in July, capping new guarantees at 0.5 percent of GDP. Analysts at Fitch consider the framework positive for multilateral lenders seeking credit risk mitigation (Fitch research note, August).
Climate and ESG considerations
AfDB intends to align all new operations with its recently upgraded Climate Action Plan. For the Congo River bridge, carbon-efficient cement substitutes are being evaluated, while Corridor 13 incorporates wildlife crossings to protect forest biodiversity.
Congo’s status as a major carbon sink in the Congo Basin positions the country to pilot AfDB’s proposed green bond facility for Central Africa. A preparatory mission is expected in Brazzaville before year-end.
Private capital and diaspora opportunities
Ould Tah emphasised crowds-in strategies, noting that every AfDB dollar aims to leverage three dollars of private finance. Local pension funds and diaspora investors are viewed as critical pools of long-term capital.
The Congolese Sovereign Fund plans to issue diaspora bonds denominated in CFA francs by mid-2025, to co-invest alongside AfDB in digital infrastructure. Preliminary consultations with diaspora associations in Paris and Washington show keen interest, according to the fund’s director.
What investors should monitor next
Key milestones include environmental approvals for the river bridge, the issuance of Corridor 13 tenders and publication of the new Country Strategy Paper, expected in March 2025. Successful delivery would expand Congo’s logistics radius and enhance regional competitiveness.
As Ould Tah concluded in New York, “Partnership is measured in completed projects that transform lives.” For Congo and its partners, the next two years will test that proposition in tangible ways.
