African Development Bank Convenes Policymakers on Economic Resilience Strategy

ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire (CAJ News) - Three multilateral institutions convened Africa’s economic policymakers at the African Development Bank Group headquarters this week, closing a three-day conference with firm commitments to strengthen the continent’s economic resilience and geopolitical standing.

The African Economic Conference, held from 10 to 12 July, brought together economists, researchers, government officials and development experts to examine strategies for reinforcing Africa’s economic independence and trade capacity in an increasingly multipolar global system. The African Development Bank Group, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) jointly organized the gathering.

The institutional focus centered on identifying practical policy approaches to help African economies manage global economic volatility. Raymond Gilpin, Chief Economist and Head of Strategy, Analysis and Research at UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, argued that while global economic pressures would continue to test African institutions, the continent’s human capital and institutional capacity remained fundamentally sound. He stressed the necessity of stronger partnerships and coordinated action among African governments and development institutions to construct the resilient economic framework that both African populations and the international community require.

The policy integration question proved equally pressing. Ida McDonnell, Senior Policy Advisor on Development Policy, Finance and Performance at the OECD, underscored a critical institutional insight: trade policy, debt management, investment frameworks, climate action and development finance can no longer be treated as separate domains. These areas, she argued, must be integrated into coherent policymaking strategies at the national and regional level.

Marie-Laure Akin Olugbade, Senior Vice President of the African Development Bank Group, confirmed that the conference had produced substantive analysis on the policy measures needed to advance Africa’s economic position and fortify its trade resilience across sectors and borders.

Meanwhile, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa Director Ahunna Eziakonwa called on stakeholders to translate the conference’s momentum into concrete institutional action. She identified specific priorities: dismantling trade barriers between African nations, channeling investment into innovation and technological capacity, strengthening regional value chains and supporting youth economic participation. Eziakonwa pressed a foundational point of African economic strategy, that the continent’s influence in a multipolar world would ultimately depend on building internal economic strength rather than relying on external partnerships or alliances.

The conference also hosted a meeting of the Global Network of Chief Economists of Development and Financing Institutions and launched the African Chief Economists Network (ACE Network), a new institutional mechanism for ongoing coordination among Africa’s leading economic policymakers and advisors. Whether that coordination produces binding policy commitments, or remains advisory, will determine how much of the Abidjan agenda survives contact with national budgets and political calendars.