TDB Group Marks 40 Years Driving Trade and Sustainable Growth in Africa

The Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB Group) celebrated its 40th anniversary at a high-level reception in Kampala this month, underscoring four decades of financing trade, regional integration and sustainable development across Africa. The event, held at the Kampala Serena Hotel, drew senior government officials, development partners, private-sector leaders and industry captains.

TDB Group 40th anniversary highlights growth and regional integration

In his keynote address, Dr Ramathan Ggoobi, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury at Uganda’s Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, said the milestone provided an opportunity to reflect on the Group’s institutional evolution and sustained commitment to Africa’s development. “This milestone is not merely a commemoration; it is a moment to reflect on TDB Group’s institutional evolution and enduring commitment to Africa’s development,” he said, noting the transformation from PTA Bank into a world-class development finance institution.

TDB Group was represented at the event by President and Managing Director Admassu Tadesse, Wegoki Menan, Chief Operating Officer for East Africa, and Mary Kamari, Executive Director of the Trade and Development Fund and TDB Group Executive. The Group launched a 40th Anniversary Coffee Table Book to narrate its journey, reforms and impact.

Mary Kamari said the publication was intended to record the bank’s progress in a clear and purposeful way. She highlighted the Group’s balance sheet, which now exceeds USD 10 billion, and described the book as a tool to communicate TDB Group’s formative years, recent reforms and future direction.

Financial footprint and impact in Uganda and beyond

Established in 1985 by the Member States of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), TDB has expanded into a specialised regional development finance group with a footprint across every African sub-region. Since its inception the Group has invested close to USD 1 billion in Uganda alone, supporting projects in energy, agribusiness, manufacturing, infrastructure, banking and financial services, and health.

The celebration theme, “Innovating Solutions to Accelerate Sustainable Development”, reflected the Group’s core purpose and operating principle. As TDB enters its fifth decade, management emphasised plans to scale up development financing, boost regional economic integration and support sustainable growth across member states, including continued engagement in Uganda.

Speakers at the reception praised TDB Group’s role in mobilising capital for projects that address infrastructure gaps and encourage private-sector participation. Delegates also highlighted the importance of continued reforms and strategic communications to strengthen the Group’s influence and delivery on development objectives.

Looking ahead, TDB Group intends to leverage its strengthened balance sheet and expanded business units to catalyse larger investments, partner with development finance institutions and private investors, and adopt innovative financing structures that respond to the continent’s development priorities.

The 40th anniversary event in Kampala served both as a celebration of past achievements and as a platform to reaffirm the Group’s strategic commitments. With a renewed focus on scaling finance and deepening regional integration, TDB Group aims to remain a central actor in Africa’s sustainable development agenda.