NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 28 – The Director of Resource Mobilization for the International Development Association (IDA), Dirk Reinermann, has urged donor countries to fulfill their financial pledges, stressing the importance of sustained contributions to ensure continued development across the world’s most vulnerable regions.
Reinermann emphasized that IDA’s current model of offering cheap financing on concessional terms is crucial in helping countries, particularly in Africa, manage their liquidity and economic challenges.
“This funding helps these countries a lot with their liquidity, and it is essential to their growth,” said Reinermann.
South Africa and Nigeria are the only borrowers in Sub-Saharan Africa, with much of IDA’s impact concentrated on the continent as a whole.
Africa, which faces numerous economic and environmental challenges, is at the forefront of IDA’s priorities, particularly as the continent struggles with the fallout from climate change, food insecurity, and geopolitical instability.
Reinermann’s comments were echoed by Daouda Sembene, CEO of Africatalyst, who stated that IDA’s support is particularly vital in the wake of such shocks.
“Africa needs the funding, and IDA could be a very good partner in helping African states navigate these challenges,” said Sembene.
He called for an ambitious and comprehensive resource mobilization effort, alongside policy reforms that align with developing nations’ domestic priorities.
However, experts have raised concerns over a potential decline in financial commitments from key donor countries.
Trevor Lwere, an economist at Development Reimagined, pointed out that countries like the UK and Spain have been reducing their contributions, while the US, the largest contributor, has kept its funding at a relatively steady level.
Lwere warned that these reductions could exacerbate the challenges faced by developing countries, including rising debt burdens, which may ultimately lead to debt restructuring.
As the call for more robust and consistent contributions grows, IDA’s role in assisting developing countries to meet their economic ambitions and address global crises remains critical.
Without continued financial support, experts fear the region will struggle to overcome the multitude of economic and environmental challenges that lie ahead.
As of the most recent replenishment (IDA20, which covers the period from July 2022 to June 2025), the United States pledged $17.7 billion (Sh2,296,575,000,000), making it the largest donor to IDA.
This contribution represents 58 percent of IDA’s total replenishment, helping fund programs that provide critical support to the poorest countries.
IDA operates in 78 countries across seven regions, with over 70 percent of its operations focused on Africa, which remains the central beneficiary of the funding.
Other donors include France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and China among others.
Since its establishment in 1960, IDA has provided approximately $533 billion for investments aimed at bolstering economic growth, and resilience, and improving the living conditions of millions.
