The Trade and Development Bank (TDB) Group is reaffirming its commitment to advancing Africa’s economic growth and development through expanded financing and stronger engagement across key sectors, according to President and Managing Director  Admassu Tadesse.

Speaking to the Pulse of Africa (POA), Tadesse emphasized the institution’s bold agenda to continue financing industrial projects that support economic diversification and regional trade.

“As a commercial-based financial institution, we have a lot to show for — and we’re very proud of it. We have a bold agenda to continue financing industrial projects that help countries diversify their economies and trade more with each other,” he said.

Tadesse highlighted that Africa’s development needs remain vast, spanning sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, and SMEs, and TDB intends to play a central role in addressing these gaps.

Reflecting on discussions from the 4th International Conference on Development Financing held recently in Seville, Spain, he noted that global leaders agreed to triple the balance sheets of multilateral development banks, including TDB.

“We currently have a $10 billion balance sheet and aspire to multiply that two to three times in the coming years,” he revealed.

To support this expansion, several member countries have pledged to increase their capital contributions. Kenya recently announced a $100 million investment in TDB’s capital, with other countries expected to follow suit.

Admassu also elaborated on TDB’s evolving capital structure, which now includes hybrid capital instruments and various share classes, enabling greater flexibility in financing.

The Bank has also successfully issued bonds on global capital markets, with strong credit ratings obtained in Japan (A), China (AAA), and Mauritius (AAA) — signaling growing confidence from international investors.

Looking ahead, TDB plans to diversify its bond issuances and explore fundraising in different currencies, including the Japanese yen, Chinese yuan, and South African rand, to align with Africa’s expanding financial ecosystem.

“As interest rates remain high globally, financing remains challenging — but TDB is committed to innovating and expanding its capacity to serve Africa’s development,” Admassu concluded.

With this vision, TDB continues to position itself as a key driver of sustainable growth and financial resilience across Africa, leveraging partnerships, innovation, and robust capitalization to deliver long-term impact.

Established in 1985, TDB is an investment-grade African regional development finance group, with the mandate to finance and foster trade, regional economic integration, and sustainable development, with an asset base of USD 10 billion. The Bank provides bespoke bilateral and syndicated short and long-term financial solutions in numerous sectors to sovereign, financial institution, and corporate clients, including SMEs, from the region. This includes direct financing via senior and mezzanine debt, equity, guarantees, export credit financing as well as a range of non-financial products such as advisory, asset management and agency services.