YAOUNDÉ,26th September, 2026 (WAM) -- Economic growth in the Central African region is expected to rise from 3.6% in 2025 to 3.8% in 2026, rising to 4.1% in 2027, despite the conflict in the Middle East, according to The African Development Bank Group's Regional Economic Outlook 2026.
The report estimates that, by 2030, the financing requirements to accelerate the structural transformation of the economies of Central African countries will amount to $42.9 billion per year, whilst the financing gap will amount to $35.6 billion per year by 2030.
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) presented the 2026 editions of its ‘Regional Economic Outlook for Central Africa’ report under the theme: Mobilising Central Africa development financing at scale in a fragmented world, during a launch event held at the headquarters of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Léandre Bassolé, Bank Group Director General for the Central Africa region, emphasised the need to improve the financing of development in the region.
“Our challenge is not merely to provide more funding. It is to finance transformation more effectively and to achieve greater development for every resource mobilised. Let us move from needs to projects ready for funding; from funding to investments made; and from investments to results experienced by our daughters and sons in this beautiful region,” he said.