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Home/DFI Index/DFI Transparency Index 2025/AfDB – sovereign
DFI

DFI Transparency Index 2025

AfDB – sovereign

Score:
81.6
Position:
3 / 10 (Sovereign)

Overview

The African Development Bank (AfDB) promotes regional cooperation and unity across the African region. Its sovereign portfolio provides non-concessional and concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance to low and middle-income governments. AfDB became an IATI member in 2011 and started publishing IATI data in June 2013. AfDB was established in 1964.

Total asset size: $53.1bn
Key links
  • AfDB website
  • AfDB project database

Analysis

AfDB’s sovereign portfolio ranked 3rd among sovereign institutions assessed, with a score of 81.6 out of 100. Although this marks an improvement from its 2023 score of 71.27, the portfolio slipped one place from 2nd to 3rd. It came 4th in both the Core Information and Financial Information components and 2nd in both the Impact Management and ESG and Accountability to Communities components. This reflects a slight decline from 2023, when it placed in the top three across all four components.

AfDB came 4th in the Core Information component with a score of 21.38, moving down the rankings from 2nd place in 2023. It scored 100 per cent on 10 of the 18 indicators in this component. Progress since 2023 included improvements in format for the disbursement and E&S category indicators, both now being disclosed in bulk format. Drops in score from 2023 reflected sub-sector now only being disclosed in IATI, funding source no longer in bulk format and no project-level last update dates.

AfDB ranked top or joint-top in the Impact Management component in both 2023 and 2025, improving its score from 28 to 30 out of 30. In the previous Index, AfDB lost points only for not specifying which standards it aligned to; this year, however, it achieved a full score across all indicators, including disclosing activity indicators/metrics and results.

In the ESG and Accountability to Communities component, AfDB’s sovereign portfolio ranked joint 2nd with a score of 23.67 out of 30. Because of having a free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) policy, it now scored 100 per cent for all organisational-level indicators. At the project level, AfDB improved from last Index by scoring 100 per cent on the summary of E&S risks indicator. However, due to inconsistent disclosure of E&S documents, it no longer scored full points on the E&S project plans/assessments indicator. On assurance of community disclosure, its performance dropped because of inconsistent disclosure of place, method and language of community disclosure, as well as community disclosure for the IAM and PGM.

AfDB came 4th in the Financial Information component with a score of 6.58 out of 10. Significantly, it scored for all indicators in this component. However, it did not score higher because project-level indicators scored for the less accessible formats of publication. AfDB’s sovereign portfolio scored well on the new climate finance indicators, scoring for its methodology and for disclosing climate finance amounts which were disaggregated by mitigation and adaptation. However, it lost points for not providing a clear rationale for counting climate finance or a detailed budget breakdown.

Core Information 21.38 / 30
Impact Management 30 / 30
ESG & Accountability to Communities 23.67 / 30
Financial Information 6.58 / 10

Recommendations

  • It should consistently publish Core Information data including client contact, disclosure date, last update date and should disclose project investment contracts for all sovereign investments.
  • AfDB should include sub-sector, total investment cost, and funding source in its bulk download file to improve accessibility.
  • AfDB should consistently disclose all identified E&S documents. It should also consistently disclose the place, method, and language of community disclosure (where required), and details of the PGM and IAM, including how they were communicated.
  • It should include the currency of investment in its bulk download file.
  • AfDB should include its project-level climate finance data in bulk download format and include a rationale for climate finance being counted as well as a detailed budget breakdown.
Core Information 21.38 / 30
Impact Management 30 / 30
ESG & Accountability to Communities 23.67 / 30
Financial Information 6.58 / 10

Deep Dive

Core InformationImpact ManagementESG & Accountability to CommunitiesFinancial Information

Core Information

21.38 / 30
About component

The basic information that describes a DFI’s organisational policies and investments. This type of information is typically found in key organisation documents and represents the first tier of project information, typically disclosed on project web pages or in files available for bulk download. At the organisation level this includes access to information policies and annual reports. At the project level, this includes project titles, locations, and key dates.

Disclosure / access to information policy

Score: 2.25 out of 3
Does the development finance institution (DFI) have a disclosure or access to information policy?0.75 / 0.75
Does the policy include a presumption of disclosure?0.75 / 0.75
Does the policy have limitations of commercially sensitive information and sensitive internal deliberations information?0 / 0.75
Does the policy have an independent appeals process?0.75 / 0.75

Accessibility

Score: 2 out of 2
Does the DFI's portal allow free, bulk export of data?0.67 / 0.67
Does it contain detailed disaggregated data?0.67 / 0.67
Is the data published under an open licence?0.67 / 0.67

Annual reports

Score: 1 out of 1
Does the DFI disclose an annual report?1 / 1

Project identification

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose a project title?0.75 / 0.75
Does the DFI disclose a unique identifier for the project?0.75 / 0.75

Status

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose the current status of the activity?1.5 / 1.5

Project description

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose a description of the activity?0.75 / 0.75
Does the DFI disclose the objectives, rationales, and expected outcomes of the activity?0.75 / 0.75

Location

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose the country the activity takes place in?0.75 / 0.75
Does the DFI disclose the sub-national location the activity takes place in?0.75 / 0.75

Sovereign / non-sovereign

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose the activity as sovereign or non-sovereign? Or; Does the DFI disclose the activity as public sector or private sector?1.5 / 1.5

Sector

Score: 0.75 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose the sector of the activity?0.75 / 0.75
Does the DFI disclose the sub-sector of the activity?0 / 0.75

Investment instrument

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose the investment instrument of an activity?1.5 / 1.5

Project costs

Score: 1.13 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose the total investment cost?0.13 / 0.5
Does the DFI disclose the DFI commitment for the investment?0.5 / 0.5
Does the DFI disclose the disbursement for the investment?0.5 / 0.5

Funding source

Score: 0.75 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose the source of funding for the investment?0.75 / 1.5

Client

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose the name of the client?1.5 / 1.5

Contacts

Score: 0.75 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose a relevant DFI contact?0.75 / 0.75
Does the DFI disclose a relevant client contact?0 / 0.75

E&S risk category

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose the environmental and social (E&S) risk category of the activity?1.5 / 1.5

Progress dates

Score: 0.75 out of 1.5
Does the DFI disclose the date of activity disclosure?0 / 0.38
Does the DFI disclose the approval date of the activity?0.38 / 0.38
Does the DFI disclose the signature date of the activity?0.38 / 0.38
Does the DFI disclose the last update date of the project data?0 / 0.38

Contract (sovereign only)

Score: 0 out of 4.5
Does the DFI disclose the investment contract for the activity?0 / 4.5

Impact Management

30 / 30
About component

The ways in which a DFI predicts, measures, and evaluates the impacts of their investments. At the organisation level, this includes an impact measurement approach. At the project level, this includes activity indicators/metrics and results.

Impact measurement approach

Score: 6 out of 6
Does the DFI publish a methodology explaining its approach to impact measurement?2 / 2
Does the DFI indicate which standards/initiatives it is aligned to?2 / 2
Does the DFI explain its approach to determining impact attribution?2 / 2

Sector / country strategy

Score: 4 out of 4
Does the DFI publish sector or (multi-)country strategies?4 / 4

Evaluations

Score: 4 out of 4
Does the DFI have a policy on the evaluation of investments?2 / 2
Does the DFI disclose the evaluations that it conducts?2 / 2

Activity indicators / metrics

Score: 8 out of 8
Does the DFI disclose results indicators for the activity?4 / 4
Does the DFI disclose metrics, definitions and/or methodologies for the indicators?4 / 4

Results

Score: 8 out of 8
Does the DFI disclose baseline data for identified indicators?2.67 / 2.67
Does the DFI disclose a target value for the indicators?2.67 / 2.67
Does the DFI disclose an actual/current value for the indicators?2.67 / 2.67

ESG & Accountability to Communities

23.67 / 30
About component

The ways in which a DFI predicts, mitigates, and communicates the ESG aspects of their activities. At the organisation level this includes E&S global disclosure policy and E&S community disclosure policy. At the project level this includes E&S plans and assessments, and assurance of community disclosure.

E&S global disclosure policy

Score: 5 out of 5
Does the DFI have a policy on early disclosure of investments?0.83 / 0.83
Does the DFI clearly articulate what E&S documentation will be disclosed for medium and high-risk projects?0.83 / 0.83
Does the DFI disclose the E&S policies/standards it applies (e.g. IFC Performance Standards or in-house policies) for its investments?0.83 / 0.83
Does the DFI have a policy that specifies when a document should be translated and in which language?0.83 / 0.83
Does the DFI disclose an explanation of project risk categorisation?0.83 / 0.83
Does the DFI disclose a list of investment exemptions?0.83 / 0.83

E&S community disclosure policy

Score: 4 out of 4
Does the DFI have a community disclosure policy?1 / 1
Does the policy require early disclosure to project-affected people?1 / 1
Does the DFI clearly articulate what E&S documentation will be disclosed to project-affected people for investments?1 / 1
Does the DFI have a free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) policy?1 / 1

IAM global disclosure documentation

Score: 2 out of 2
Does the DFI disclose the availability of the Independent Accountability Mechanism (IAM) on its website?1 / 1
Does the DFI IAM have a publicly available registry that publishes results, responses, or findings?1 / 1

IAM community disclosure policy

Score: 2 out of 2
Does the DFI require clients to disclose the availability of the IAM to project-affected people where appropriate? Or; Does the DFI state that it will disclose the availability of IAM to project-affected people?2 / 2

PGM community disclosure policy

Score: 2 out of 2
Does the DFI require clients to disclose the availability of the project-level grievance mechanism (PGM) to project-affected people where appropriate? Or; Does the DFI state that it will disclose the availability of the PGM to project-affected people?2 / 2

Summary of E&S risks

Score: 2 out of 2
Does the DFI disclose a summary of E&S risks for an activity?1 / 1
Are E&S standards triggered by the project identified?1 / 1

E&S project plans / assessments

Score: 2.67 out of 4
Does the DFI disclose the minimum E&S documentation for the risk categorisation?1.33 / 1.33
Does the DFI disclose what E&S documentation was produced for the activity?1.33 / 1.33
Does the DFI disclose all identified E&S documents that were produced for the activity?0 / 1.33

Assurance of community disclosure

Score: 3 out of 8
Does the DFI state if disclosure of the activity to projected-affected people was required?1 / 1
If yes, then: Does the DFI state the date of community E&S disclosure?1 / 1
Does the DFI state the place of community E&S disclosure?0 / 1
Does the DFI state the method of community disclosure?0 / 1
Does the DFI state what documentation was disclosed?1 / 1
Does the DFI identify the language of disclosure to project-affected people?0 / 1
Does the DFI state if the presence of a project grievance mechanism was disclosed and the method it was disclosed?0 / 1
Does the DFI state if the presence of an independent accountability mechanism was disclosed and the method it was disclosed?0 / 1

IAM global disclosure

Score: 1 out of 1
Does the DFI disclose the presence of the IAM on the DFI project page?1 / 1

Financial Information

6.58 / 10
About component

This information provides details on the financial performance of DFIs and the structuring of investments. At the organisation level, this includes audited financial reports. At the project level, this includes currency of investment, mobilisation, and concessionality

Financial reports / statements

Score: 1 out of 1
Does the DFI disclose audited financial reports/statements?1 / 1

Climate finance methodology

Score: 1 out of 1
Does the DFI publish a methodology explaining its approach to calculating climate finance?1 / 1

Currency of investment

Score: 0.25 out of 1
Does the DFI disclose the currency that the investment is made in?0.25 / 1

Co-financing

Score: 1 out of 1
Does the DFI disclose whether investment has co-financers or guarantors?0.33 / 0.33
If there are co-financers, does the DFI disclose the identity of the co-financers?0.33 / 0.33
And, does the DFI disclose the amount of financing provided by each co-financer?0.33 / 0.33

Loan pricing (sovereign only)

Score: 2 out of 2
Does the DFI disclose detailed pricing information about the investment, including interest rate and loan tenor?2 / 2

Climate finance

Score: 1.33 out of 4
Does the DFI disclose whether an investment includes climate finance?0.33 / 0.67
If the investment includes climate finance: Does the DFI disclose whether it is mitigation and/or adaptation climate finance?0.33 / 0.67
Does the DFI disclose the amount of climate finance for the investment?0.33 / 0.67
Does the DFI disclose the amount of mitigation and/or adaptation finance for the investment?0.33 / 0.67
Does the DFI disclose a rationale for why climate finance has been counted?0 / 0.67
Does the DFI disclose a budget breakdown for climate finance? (sovereign only)0 / 0.67
DFI

DFI Transparency Index 2025

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