Perspectives on Development Banks in Africa

This edited collection presents seventeen case studies focused on development banking in Africa at both the national and regional level. It discusses the political economy and key characteristics of these banks and sets them in broader multilateral, regional and sub-regional contexts.

Bringing together contributions from scholars in banking and finance as well as development finance practitioners, the book assesses in-depth the corporate governance, business models, risk management practices, institutional contexts, and challenges and achievements of development banks in a range of countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Tunisia, Mauritius, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. It considers the major contributions of these banks so far, for example their impact on infrastructure development and trade, as well as setting out further policy implications and recommendations for further utilizing the potential of development banking in Africa. In addition, the book discusses comparative approaches in Asian development banks, regional banks and trade financing, regional case studies and the impact of development banking models on regional and sub-regional investments and economic development.

This book will be valuable readers for scholars and practitioners interested in banking and finance, development economics and finance, African economics, and the sustainable development goals.

“Until now, the literature on development banks in Africa has been mostly confined to specialized journals.  This book provides a comprehensive, readable and authoritative overview of the current state of play of development banking in Africa. It will therefore be an essential reference for academics, policymakers and practitioners in the area.” (Professor Christopher J. Green, Emeritus Professor of Economics and Finance, Loughborough University, UK)

“This book is a reference to understand the mechanisms through which development banks balance the financing of development through the funding of long-term projects. I strongly recommend this book for students, researchers, bankers, and reading enthusiasts seeking to deepen their knowledge of development banks.” (George Agyekum Donkor, PhD, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID))

“The role of the private sector in fostering economic growth and development in Africa is critical to infrastructure financing, technology transfer and poverty reduction. This book reflects case studies of carefully selected African countries to showcase recent experiences of developments banks. It is recommended for researchers, students and policy makers and practitioners.” (Felix Oppong, PhD, Senior Economist, The World Bank, Washington DC, USA)
 

Joshua Yindenaba Abor is a financial economist, Professor of Finance and former Dean at University of Ghana Business School. He is an External Fellow at the Centre for Global Finance, SOAS University of London. He is an Afreximbank Research Fellow and has held Visiting Scholar positions at the IMF and is a member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Ghana.

Daniel Ofori-Sasu is an emerging financial economist and a lecturer at the Department of Finance of the University of Ghana Business School. He has been involved in projects sponsored by the Afreximbank, the African Development Bank, and the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) under the supervision of the Corporate Support Group Limited. His research interests include finance, economics, governance, sustainability, and environmental and development policy issues.