LAGOS, Nov 10 – The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has ranked first in the 2026 International Aid Transparency Index (ATI), scoring 98.8 out of 100 for its sovereign portfolio and extending its position at the top of the biennial assessment for a third consecutive edition.
The ranking, published by Publish What You Fund, follows the Bank Group’s first-place performances in 2022 and 2024. It reflects the institution’s sustained disclosure of project information and efforts to make its development operations accessible to shareholders, investors, researchers, civil society organisations and the public.
In a statement on the result, the Bank Group described transparency as an ongoing institutional discipline rather than an achievement to be treated as permanent. It said the ranking reflected practices maintained across changes in leadership, management and institutional priorities, supported by teams responsible for publishing and updating project information.
“Transparency is not a trophy to display when the news is good. It is a discipline to uphold when the questions are difficult, and it must be renewed every day.” Dr Sidi Ould Tah, President African Development Bank Group said.
“For shareholders, this is evidence of discipline. For investors, it is part of the evidence base on which confidence is built. For civil society and media, it is a public record that can be tested.” He added.
The Bank’s transparency framework is anchored in its Disclosure and Access to Information Policy, which has been in force since 2013 and was approved by its Board. Membership of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) subsequently provided a framework for standardising and publishing its development project data.
Since adopting the initiative, the Bank Group has published its full project data monthly, usually within one month of a transaction. The disclosures cover its entire portfolio rather than a selected group of operations, with historical records extending back to the institution’s operations in 1967.
MapAfrica expands public access to project information
The Bank Group’s MapAfrica platform serves as the public portal for its project information. The process of publishing data through IATI required the institution to reorganise its project records, creating a consolidated database of its operations accessible through a single platform.
On October 13, 2026, MapAfrica surpassed 6,000 published projects across more than 18,500 locations. Since May 2024, the platform has recorded 2.6 million page views, 703,000 visits and 550,000 unique visitors.
The figures indicate growing public engagement with information on development projects financed or supported by the Bank, including among governments, researchers, investors and citizens.
An upgrade introduced in October 2026 added more detailed project performance information. The platform now allows users to track progress against approved targets on an indicator-by-indicator basis, making it easier to assess how individual operations are performing against their original commitments.
The additional functionality extends MapAfrica beyond a project-disclosure portal towards a tool for monitoring implementation and results. By making approved targets and progress publicly accessible, the platform also allows stakeholders to examine delays, performance gaps and changes to project commitments.
Development results and accountability
The Bank Group said its transparency approach is intended to disclose performance across its portfolio, including areas where projects have fallen short of their targets.
“This is not the story of a sudden leap. It is the story of a standard held over time, across changes in leadership, management and priority.” He said.
In 2025, the institution helped provide electricity access to more than 1.5 million people and supported 6.9 million farmers in adopting climate-resilient technologies. It also improved food security for 18.4 million people and financed the construction or rehabilitation of close to 2,000 kilometres of roads.
The Bank said these results are presented alongside areas where performance did not meet expectations, reinforcing its position that public disclosure should cover both achievements and shortcomings.
For development finance institutions, the availability of detailed and regularly updated project information is relevant to how shareholders assess institutional governance, how investors evaluate development finance operations and how civil society monitors the use of public resources.
The AfDB’s latest ranking therefore reflects not only its position in the 2026 index but also the systems it has established to disclose project information and track results over time.
