The 2025 ADFIAP-AADFI Joint International CEO Forum convened from October 22 to 24, 2025, in Macau SAR, China, under the theme “Resilient Future: Harnessing Sustainable
Finance for Development in Asia and Africa.” The forum brought together nearly 170 distinguished delegates from 32 countries, including 10 nations in Asia (Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Oman, Philippines, Vietnam, Cyprus), 3 in Oceania/Pacific (Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam), 17 African countries (Angola, Benin, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda), and 2 from other continents (Canada, Russia). Participants comprised CEOs and senior leaders of development finance institutions (DFIs), policymakers, and private sector innovators.
The Forum’s overarching goal was to catalyze strategic dialogues among top executives, unlocking new opportunities for collaboration and investment between Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. Specific objectives included: facilitating high-level discussions on sustainable finance strategies; promoting the exchange of knowledge and peer learning around innovative financing solutions to drive resilient development; exploring opportunities for cross-regional partnerships between Asian and African DFIs; highlighting successful case studies and best practices in climate finance, social impact investing, and infrastructure development; and strengthening partnership networks among DFIs to support future joint initiatives.
The Opening Ceremony was graced by distinguished dignitaries, notably His Excellency Franck E. W. Adjagba, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Benin to the People’s Republic of China; Dr. Patricia Ojangole, Chairperson of the Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI) and Managing Director of the Uganda Development Bank (UDB); and His Excellency Dr. Kao Thach, Chairman of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the pacific (ADFIAP) and Chief Executive Officer of the Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (ARDB) of Cambodia, and Mr. Craig Fullalov, Chief Financial Officer at Wynn Macau, Limited.