Africa-Press – Gambia. The Gambia has been selected to host the 2026 African Caucus of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, following the appointment of the country’s Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Seedy K.M. Keita, as Chair of the Caucus.
This development was announced after Minister Keita assumed the chairmanship during the recently concluded IMF/World Bank African Caucus meeting held in Bangui, Central African Republic. Hosting the 2026 session positions The Gambia to further demonstrate its commitment to regional cooperation and sustainable economic development.
This year’s meeting in Bangui was held under the theme: “Resilient Infrastructure, Human Capital, and Green Assets: Essential Levers for Strong, Inclusive, and Sustainable Growth in Africa,” with discussions centered on “Innovative Financing Solutions to Close Africa’s Infrastructure Gap” and “Enhancing Fiscal Capacity and Public Investment Efficiency for Resilient Infrastructure Development.”
In a statement released by The Gambia’s Ministry of Finance, African finance ministers and IMF Governors at the meeting expressed concern over the structural imbalances in the global financial system, which continue to subject African countries to high borrowing and capital costs.
The Caucus called on the IMF and World Bank Group to enhance their support for Africa by helping to develop sustainable debt strategies that prioritize resilience-focused investments. It also urged the introduction of innovative financing instruments tailored to the continent’s unique challenges.
“The meeting called for the IMF and WBG to enhance their support in developing sustainable debt strategies that prioritize resilience-building investments and explore innovative financing instruments tailored to Africa’s needs,” the release stated.
The communiqué further stressed the need for the IMF to adopt more flexible policies and expand access to resources. Participants also encouraged the rechanneling of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) through regional Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to support infrastructure investments across Africa.
Additionally, the Caucus appealed for increased technical assistance and targeted capacity-building support to help African countries improve their legal and regulatory environments. The goal is to attract competitive private sector investment and reform infrastructure services to ensure they are efficient, financially viable, and climate-resilient.
The finance ministry said, “The Caucus further requested for impactful technical assistance and tailored capacity-building to help African countries make their regulatory and legal landscapes more business-friendly for competitive private sector investments in the infrastructure sector on a large scale and to reform their infrastructure services, so that they are financially sound and efficient.”
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