UK and Ghana jointly host major African development financing conference in London

Accra, Dec. 17, – The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ghana on Tuesday jointly hosted the Pledging Conference for the African Development Fund’s 17th replenishment (ADF-17) in London.

The gathering represented an important collaborative effort aimed at mobilising financial resources to advance Africa’s development agenda.

The high-level conference, convened at the headquarters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, brought together international partners and multilateral donors to back the African Development Bank Group’s 54 regional member states.

Ghana’s Deputy Finance Minister, Mr Thomas Nyarko Ampem, said Ghana was honoured to co-host the event and to project Africa’s collective voice in determining development priorities.

He noted that Ghana, together with The Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan, had already made a combined pledge of 16 million dollars to the Fund, the first occasion on which every country in the constituency had contributed.

“This reflects our dedication to reforms and partnerships that yield real benefits for our citizens,” Mr Ampem said.

The UK Minister for Development, Ms Jenny Chapman, underscored the United Kingdom’s transition from a traditional aid donor to a development investor.

She said the UK’s redefined role would assist countries seeking to expand their economies and eventually move beyond reliance on aid.

Ms Chapman also welcomed the African Development Bank’s decision to hold its first-ever Private Sector Mobilisation Day in London, acknowledging the City of London’s central role in financing Africa’s economic transformation.

Ghana’s five-million-dollar pledge follows ongoing fiscal and governance reforms, including the deployment of digital tax compliance systems. Earlier ADF support to Ghana has funded women-owned businesses and renewable energy mini-grid projects.

The conference is anticipated to stimulate higher levels of contributions from African countries, highlighting the continent’s increasing leadership in steering its development pathway.

Ghana’s involvement as co-host is consistent with President John Mahama’s Reset Agenda, which seeks to position the country as a focal point for reshaping global development cooperation and financial systems.

At the same time, the UK’s renewed Africa strategy, launched alongside the conference, prioritises shared prosperity, trade expansion, and stronger African representation in global decision-making platforms.

GHBUSS