The commitment is contained in the AfDB Group's 2025 Country Portfolio Performance Review (CPPR) report for Rwanda, released on August 20, 2026, which assesses the performance of Bank-funded operations in the country as of November 2025.
According to the report, Rwanda's active AfDB portfolio is heavily concentrated in infrastructure, which accounts for 87% of total commitments. Water supply and sanitation alone represents 34% of the portfolio, followed by energy at 30%, multi-sector operations at 11%, finance at 10%, and transport at 9%. By contrast, agriculture, communications, social and urban development together make up just 6% of the portfolio's value.
The report describes this infrastructure dominance as reflecting the Bank's 'longstanding support to the government's foundational utility priorities,' but warns that such concentration 'poses a significant risk, potentially constraining the case for additional stand-alone infrastructure investments.'
In response, and in direct alignment with Rwanda's Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2, 2024/25–2028/29), the Government of Rwanda has requested a strategic pivot toward agriculture. The reorientation is intended to rebalance the portfolio, mitigate concentration risk, and 'catalyse
transformative growth in high-priority productive sectors,' the report states.
NST2 itself prioritises private sector-led growth, agricultural modernisation, and export-oriented manufacturing, alongside efforts to accelerate inclusive growth and create jobs for youth and women.
Existing agriculture pipeline
The planned $400 million push builds on a currently modest agriculture portfolio. As of January 2026, AfDB-financed agriculture operations in Rwanda stood at just UA 11.2 million (approximately $15.2 million), representing only 9.2% disbursement, and centred on the Development of Agroforestry and Sustainable Agriculture project.
A larger agriculture operation is already in the pipeline: the Climate Smart Agriculture Results-Based Financing (RBF) programme, valued at USD 348 million (UA 254 million), blending ADF and ADB loan financing, according to the report's annex on the Indicative Operations Programme.
Wider portfolio
The agriculture pivot comes against the backdrop of a rapidly growing but increasingly strained AfDB portfolio in Rwanda. As of 31 January 2026, the Bank's active portfolio comprised 29 operations, 27 public sector and 2 private sector, with total commitments $2.6 billion), a 71% increase from $1.49 billion) in November 2023.
However, the share of red-flagged projects facing performance challenges doubled from 13% in 2023 to 26% in 2025, driven largely by procurement delays and weaknesses in contract management. The cumulative disbursement rate across the portfolio currently stands at 36%.
The Bank and the Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), have endorsed a 2025 Country Portfolio Improvement Plan (CPIP) aimed at addressing these bottlenecks, including measures to fast-track project readiness, strengthen contract management, and streamline procurement processes.
The 2025 CPPR report has been submitted for information to the AfDB's Committee on Operations and Development Effectiveness (CODE).
