Rwanda is seeking a bigger role for the African Development Bank in agriculture, with more than $400 million in planned financing over the next three years as the country looks to diversify a portfolio dominated by infrastructure.
The planned financing is set out in the AfDB Group’s 2025 Country Portfolio Performance Review for Rwanda, released on Aug. 20. The review assesses the performance of bank-funded operations in the country.
Infrastructure accounts for 87% of the AfDB’s commitments in Rwanda, with water supply and sanitation making up 34% and energy 30%. Multisector operations account for 11%, finance 10% and transport 9%.
Agriculture, communications, social development and urban development together account for 6% of the portfolio.
The bank said its concentration in infrastructure reflected longstanding support for the government’s basic infrastructure priorities, but warned that the concentration could constrain the case for additional stand-alone infrastructure investments.
The Rwandan government has asked the AfDB to shift more financing toward agriculture in line with the Second National Strategy for Transformation, or NST2, which covers the 2024/25 to 2028/29 period.
NST2 places agricultural modernisation, private-sector-led growth and export-oriented manufacturing among its priorities, alongside efforts to expand inclusive growth and create jobs for young people and women.
The proposed agriculture financing would be a substantial increase from the sector’s current AfDB portfolio.
As of January 2026, AfDB-financed agriculture operations in Rwanda totalled UA 11.2 million, equivalent to about $15.2 million, with only 9.2% disbursed. The portfolio is centred on the Development of Agroforestry and Sustainable Agriculture project.
A Climate Smart Agriculture Results-Based Financing programme worth $348 million, or UA 254 million, is already in the pipeline, according to the report’s indicative operations programme.
The shift comes as the AfDB’s overall Rwanda portfolio has grown rapidly. As of Jan. 31, 2026, it comprised 29 active operations – 27 in the public sector and two in the private sector – with total commitments of $2.6 billion, up from $1.49 billion in November 2023.
Implementation has become a concern as the portfolio has expanded. Projects flagged for performance problems rose to 26% in 2025 from 13% in 2023, mainly because of procurement delays and weaknesses in contract management.
The cumulative disbursement rate stood at 36%.
The AfDB and Rwanda’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning have endorsed a 2025 Country Portfolio Improvement Plan to address the bottlenecks, including measures to improve project readiness, strengthen contract management and streamline procurement.
The review has been submitted to the AfDB’s Committee on Operations and Development Effectiveness for information.
