EXCLUSIVE-US Treasury has not pledged funds to AfDB's 2025 ADF financing round, spokesman says

By Duncan Miriri

NAIROBI, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The United States' Treasury did not contribute funds to the African Development Bank's fund for low-income countries, citing too much emphasis on climate change and other issues.

The Abidjan-based AfDB, Africa's biggest development lender, raised $11 billion for the African Development Fund (ADF) at a conference in London in December. But it was unclear if the United States, one of the lender's top five state donors, had pledged any funds.

A spokesman for the U.S. Treasury said the administration under President Donald Trump would continue to hold international financial institutions accountable to their mandates and push them to focus on economic growth, private job creation and poverty reduction.

"Like too many other institutions the ADF has adopted a disproportionate focus on climate change, gender, and social issues, and as such the United States did not announce a pledge at the Fund’s 17th replenishment," the spokesman said by email in response to Reuters questions.

The ADF, which extends long term loans to the poorest countries on concessional terms, apportions part of its lending to climate action. Since 2022 it has sought to help its 37 low-income beneficiary nations navigate the impact of climate change while securing food security and clean energy production.