African Development Bank Group SVP Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade Highlights Private Sector Role at Geneva International Cooperation Forum

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) participated in the fifth Geneva International Cooperation Forum (IC Forum), organised by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs' Agency for Development and Cooperation. The event was held from 26–27 February 2026 at the Geneva International Conference Centre in Switzerland. AfDB Senior Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade joined a panel discussion on private-sector partnerships in humanitarian contexts.

Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, Senior Vice President of the African Development Bank Group, participated in a high-level panel titled “Private-Sector Partnerships in Humanitarian Contexts.” The discussion involved representatives from the private sector and development experts.

Ambassador Pietro Lazzeri, Head of the Economic Cooperation and Development Division at the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), introduced the session and moderated the discussion. “In a global context of declining resources, the financing and implementation of humanitarian aid must be expanded. But how do we get the private sector involved in the solutions?” he asked. Lazzeri also serves as the Bank’s governor for Switzerland.

Panel participants emphasized that private-sector involvement in humanitarian responses should align with humanitarian principles and operate within a framework of shared responsibility. They also noted that collaboration with businesses should support, rather than replace, cooperation with governments.

Ms Akin-Olugabade added that “behind every crisis, there are collapsing markets and lost jobs.”

The discussion also highlighted the role of the private sector in Africa, where nearly 80% of the population is employed in private enterprises. According to the panel, businesses play a role in crisis prevention, stabilisation, and recovery. Participants also called for increased funding while stressing that financial support should remain responsible and avoid contributing to conflicts.

Akin-Olugbade outlined the African Development Bank Group’s approach in humanitarian contexts, stating that the institution aims to complement humanitarian actors rather than replace them by intervening at appropriate times with suitable financial instruments.

Examples of this approach include support provided in Madagascar through the Transition Support Facility, where more than 300 very small and medium-sized enterprises (VSEMEs) gained access to bank financing that had previously been unavailable. In Sudan, collaboration with DAL Group has helped stabilise agricultural value chains despite the ongoing conflict.

In the Sahel region, the Bank Group has also partnered with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), combining financial instruments with humanitarian expertise operating on the ground. These initiatives aim to support local economies, restore services, and reduce the likelihood of renewed crises.

Participants at the forum concluded that the private sector should not be viewed solely as a source of funding. Instead, its technical expertise and innovation capabilities can contribute to humanitarian response when collaboration is structured, responsible, and aligned with local conditions.