By Ajong Mbapndah L
Washington, D.C. — As the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings unfold this week, attention is turning to a fast-rising platform that is increasingly shaping how Africa engages the global economic system. The Africa @ World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings Forum, set to take place tomorrow in Washington, is expected to convene more than 200 high-level participants, bringing together a powerful mix of African policymakers, multilateral institutions, private sector leaders, researchers, and civil society actors at a moment of heightened economic urgency.
Organized by the Nkafu Policy Institute of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation, in partnership with AUDA-NEPAD, Afrobarometer, and the African Institute for Development Policy, the forum has rapidly evolved from a complementary side event into a strategic convening that bridges African priorities with global financial decision-making processes. What distinguishes it is not only the caliber of participation, but the intentional focus on evidence-informed dialogue and actionable policy engagement at a time when global financing conditions are tightening and development pathways are under renewed scrutiny.
This year’s theme, “Accelerating Africa’s Transformation,” captures both the ambition and the pressure facing the continent. With rising debt vulnerabilities, constrained fiscal space, and growing expectations to deliver inclusive growth, the forum is expected to move beyond broad narratives and instead zero in on practical solutions that can shape policy direction. Opening remarks by Dr Denis Foretia, Executive Chairman of the Nkafu Policy Institute and Founder of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation, are expected to set a tone of coordination and strategic clarity, followed by a keynote from Abebe A. Selassie, Director of the African Department at the International Monetary Fund, whose address will likely frame Africa’s economic outlook within an increasingly complex global financial environment.
The strength of the forum lies in the depth and structure of its panels, which reflect the interconnected nature of Africa’s development challenges. Discussions will begin with a focus on one of the continent’s most pressing imperatives—job creation for its rapidly expanding youth population. With contributions from figures such as Dr Somik Lall, Director of Strategy in the Development Economics Vice Presidency at The World Bank, and policymakers including Monica Musenero, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of Uganda, alongside labor leader Anne-Cécile Coly, First Vice President of the National Union of Autonomous Trade Unions, and Linton Mchunu, Senior Advisor to the CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, with moderation by Josephine Appiah-Nyamekye Sanny, Director of Communications at Afrobarometer, expectations are high that the conversation will explore scalable pathways for employment, from industrial policy and skills development to digital innovation and financing mechanisms capable of supporting growth at scale.
Attention will then shift to intra-African trade, where speakers including Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi, President and CEO of the African Center for Economic Transformation, Dr Anit Mukherjee, Senior Fellow at Observer Research Foundation America, Hannah Ryder, CEO of Development Reimagined, and Dr Gero Carletto, Senior Manager at the World Bank, with moderation by Pamla Gopaul, Head of the Africa Policy Bridge Tank at AUDA-NEPAD, are expected to interrogate how the African Continental Free Trade Area can move from ambition to measurable impact. The conversation is likely to highlight persistent barriers—ranging from infrastructure deficits to regulatory fragmentation—while also pointing to emerging opportunities in regional value chains, digital trade platforms, and innovative trade financing models.
One of the most closely watched moments of the forum will come with the discussion on health financing, a topic that is increasingly being reframed as central to economic strategy rather than a purely social concern. The panel brings together a distinguished group including Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development of Cameroon; Elizabeth Lule, Executive Director of the Early Childhood Development Action Network and Board Chair of AFIDEP; Dr Olusoji Adeyi, President of Resilient Health Systems; and Heather Ignatius, Chief of External Affairs at PATH, moderated by Dr Naa Dodua Dodoo, Director of Human Capital Development and Theme Lead on Population Dynamics and Demographic Dividend at AFIDEP. Expectations are that the discussion will confront the structural realities shaping health systems across the continent, including rising disease burdens, persistent financing gaps, and the constraints imposed by limited fiscal space and growing debt obligations. At the same time, it is likely to explore forward-looking solutions, from improving public expenditure efficiency to mobilizing private sector capital and deploying innovative financing instruments that can help build more resilient health systems.
The inclusion of this discussion signals a broader shift in policy thinking across Africa, where investments in human capital are increasingly viewed as foundational to productivity, stability, and long-term economic growth. For policymakers such as Mey, the conversation provides an opportunity to articulate how health financing can be integrated into national development strategies without undermining fiscal discipline, reinforcing the idea that economic transformation and social investment are deeply interconnected.
The forum will conclude with a focus on water security and sanitation, another sector where the gap between need and financing remains significant. Featuring voices such as Albert Zeufack, Country Director for Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and São Tomé and Príncipe at the World Bank; Alex Money, Founder and CEO of Watermarq; Erik Harvey, Strategic Programme Development Director at WaterAid; Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation of Senegal; Prof Mahesh Kotecha, President of Structured Credit International Corp.; Don Christensen, Executive Chairman of InvestBank Corp.; and Ann Thomas, Senior WASH Advisor at UNICEF, with moderation by Jaehyang So, Chair of the Technical Committee at the Global Water Partnership, the discussion is expected to explore how to unlock capital at scale through blended finance, institutional reform, and improved governance frameworks. As with other sessions, the emphasis will likely be on translating ideas into implementable strategies that can attract both domestic and international investment.
Beyond the formal agenda, the forum’s growing importance lies in its ability to convene the right actors at the right moment. With structured networking sessions and high-level engagements throughout the day, it provides a platform where policy dialogue intersects with partnership-building, enabling conversations that extend well beyond the conference room. It is in these interactions that many of the alignments shaping Africa’s engagement with global institutions begin to take form.
As Africa navigates a more complex and competitive global economic landscape, the need for coordinated, credible, and forward-looking policy engagement has never been greater. The Africa @ World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings Forum is increasingly responding to that need, positioning itself not just as a space for dialogue, but as a mechanism for influence. With momentum building and expectations high, tomorrow’s gathering is set to play a defining role in shaping both the tone and substance of Africa’s voice during the Spring Meetings—and potentially beyond.
