Africa Forward Summit: Proparco mobilized to accelerate the continent’s economic transformation

At the Business Forum, and more broadly throughout the Africa Forward Summit, Proparco brought together numerous clients and partners with whom it has built strong and lasting relationships of trust, illustrating the vitality of economic ties between France and African stakeholders.

Through these announcements and signings, Proparco reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the African private sector through an innovative and catalytic financing offer targeting high-impact sectors such as healthcare, agribusiness, infrastructure and connectivity, as well as fintech.

This momentum reflects a strong conviction: the private sector plays a decisive role in the continent’s economic and social transformation. Across Africa, entrepreneurs, companies and investors are developing innovative solutions to address today’s major challenges and deliver tangible improvements to people’s daily lives.

Proparco therefore supports companies, financial institutions and investment funds carrying high-impact projects that generate sustainable local value.

At the closing of the Africa Forward Summit, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, also announced the launch of FARM+, an enhanced initiative aimed at strengthening food security and agricultural sovereignty in Africa. In an international context marked by heightened geopolitical tensions and rising energy and fertilizer prices, FARM+ seeks to accelerate financing for African agricultural value chains and agri-food trade.

This initiative builds on FARM (Food & Agriculture Resilience Mission), launched in 2022. The private-sector component of FARM, implemented by Proparco, has already helped mobilize around €200 million in financing per year to support food security across the continent.

According to Nicolas Forissier, French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness, “In the face of international tensions, strengthening local agricultural capacities has become a major food sovereignty challenge for African countries. Meeting this challenge requires the mobilization of both public and private financing. With FARM+, France is reaffirming its commitment alongside its African partners. Led by the AFD Group and its subsidiary Proparco, this initiative will sustainably support stakeholders across agricultural value chains, mobilize African banks to secure agricultural trade through trade finance, and strengthen short-term financing for essential inputs, particularly fertilizers.”

For Françoise Lombard, “With FARM+, Proparco is taking a new step forward in addressing the food emergency while preparing for the future. By mobilizing additional financing alongside leading African partners such as Ecobank, we are strengthening African agricultural value chains and supporting sustainable solutions that advance the continent’s food sovereignty.”

Through its participation in the Africa Forward Summit, Proparco reaffirmed its long-term commitment to the African continent. Between 2022 and 2025, the institution mobilized more than €1 billion in financing annually across Africa, representing a total of €4.6 billion committed over the period. These commitments reflect France’s determination, alongside its African partners, to sustainably support the entrepreneurial, industrial and financial dynamics shaping the future of the continent.

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