AfDB Leader Spotlights Private Sector’s Humanitarian Role at Geneva Forum

The fifth Geneva International Cooperation Forum (IC Forum), organized by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs’ Agency for Development and Cooperation last month, featured African Development Bank (AfDB) Group Senior Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade.

Akin-Olugbade participated in a high-level panel on “Private-Sector Partnerships in Humanitarian Contexts” during the event, held February 26-27, 2026, at the Geneva International Conference Centre. She joined private-sector leaders and experts, moderated by Ambassador Pietro Lazzeri, Head of the Economic Cooperation and Development Division at the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and Switzerland’s governor for the AfDB.

Lazzeri framed 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?”

Panelists emphasized that private-sector involvement must align with humanitarian principles and shared responsibility, enhancing—not replacing—state cooperation. Akin-Olugbade highlighted: “Behind every crisis, there are collapsing markets and lost jobs.” In Africa, where nearly 80% of people work in the private sector, businesses are central to prevention, stabilization, and recovery. The group called for more responsible funding that avoids fueling conflicts.

Akin-Olugbade outlined the AfDB Group’s complementary approach, using targeted interventions. In Madagascar, the Transition Support Facility enabled over 300 very small and medium-sized enterprises (VSEs/SMEs) to access new bank financing. In Sudan, partnering with the DAL Group stabilized agricultural value chains amid conflict. In the Sahel, collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) blends AfDB financial tools with on-the-ground humanitarian expertise.

These efforts revive local economies, restore services, and prevent crisis relapse. As Akin-Olugbade noted, synergy among humanitarian actors, the private sector, and multilateral banks is key to sustainable responses.

In closing, participants agreed: the private sector is more than a donor—its innovation and expertise make it a vital partner when engagement is structured, responsible, and grounded in local realities.