Liberiaโs Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan II, has been elected Chair of Constituency 15 of the African Development Bank (AfDB), a regional bloc that includes Liberia, Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Sudan.
The announcement was made during the 2025 Constituency Annual Meetings held alongside the AfDBโs Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Cรดte dโIvoire. Minister Ngafuan will begin his three-year term on August 1, 2025, taking over from Sheku A.F. Bangura, Minister of Finance of Sierra Leone.
Constituency 15 is one of the key voting groups within the AfDBโs governance framework, and the Chair plays a central role in coordinating member statesโ policy priorities, facilitating dialogue with Bank leadership, and advocating for equitable access to funding opportunities and technical support.
Ngafuanโs appointment is seen as a strategic boost for Liberiaโs engagement with the Bank. With major national infrastructure and energy programs requiring concessional financing, Liberiaโs position at the helm of the Constituency offers a unique opportunity to shape regional investment strategies and ensure stronger representation in AfDB decision-making processes.
Before his return to national office, Ngafuan held a senior role at the AfDB as Country Manager for Tanzania. His work in East Africa involved managing portfolios in energy, agriculture, and transport, and overseeing complex regional integration projects. His experience within the institution is expected to enhance Liberiaโs ability to navigate AfDB financing mechanisms and influence policy-level discussions.
Currently, the AfDB is a key development partner for Liberia, supporting projects in road connectivity, electricity access, agricultural value chains, and private sector development. The Bank is also co-financing regional infrastructure initiatives such as the CLSG (Cรดte dโIvoireโLiberiaโSierra LeoneโGuinea) interconnection project, which has implications for energy security and regional trade.
Ngafuanโs leadership comes at a time when the Bank is ramping up its focus on climate resilience, digital transformation, and regional integration. Constituency Chairs are expected to contribute to shaping these cross-cutting strategies, particularly on issues of debt sustainability and development effectiveness in fragile and low-income states.
His recent election as Chairperson of the IMF/World Bank Standing Committee in April 2025 underscores his growing presence on multilateral finance platforms. Analysts suggest this dual leadership positioning could offer Liberia additional leverage in aligning donor support and mobilizing resources for its national development agenda.
The rotation of the AfDB Constituency 15 chairmanship is based on mutual agreement among member countries and typically occurs every three years. Liberiaโs assumption of the role is viewed as an opportunity to elevate the countryโs technical and diplomatic standing within the Bank and across the continent.
As Ngafuan prepares to take office in August, focus will likely turn to how Liberia can maximize this leadership to fast-track project approvals, expand partnerships, and reinforce its influence in shaping AfDBโs priorities in West Africa and beyond.
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