In a shocking decision, the Trump administration has proposed the outright elimination of US funding to the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional arm of the African Development Bank (AfDB). In the 2026 budget submitted to Congress, the executive branch justified this cut by citing a lack of alignment with “administration priorities.”
In total, $555 million in contributions to African multilateral institutions, including the AfDB, are targeted. The administration says it wants to refocus US aid on cost-effective investment instruments through the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and abandon funding related to climate, equality, or governance, deemed “radical” or “ideological.”
The immediate consequence: a gaping hole in project financing capacity in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the agriculture, infrastructure, health, and climate sectors. The decision also weakens the strategic influence of the United States in African development policies.
An alarming signal for the continent, at a time when financing needs have never been more urgent.
