African Leaders Debt Relief Initiative

Africa is at the epicenter of a deepening sovereign debt crisis, driven by the compounded shocks of COVID-19, surging energy and food prices, and the escalating impacts of climate change. Many African countries now spend more on debt servicing than on critical investments in education, healthcare, and sustainable development. Alarmingly, half of African nations allocate more to interest payments alone than to their public health budgets.

At the same time, the continent faces escalating climate challenges that demand urgent financial resources to invest in climate resilience and sustainable green growth. With soaring external debt levels and the cost of capital exceeding projected growth rates, many African economies are caught in a vicious cycle of debt, underinvestment, and climate risk.The G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments, intended to provide relief to struggling economies, has fallen short in providing timely and predictable debt restructuring.

The African Leaders Debt Relief Initiative (ALDRI) brings together former African Heads of State and Government committed to breaking the silence on the sovereign debt crisis and advocating for a new, large-scale debt relief initiative. With 2025 as a pivotal year—marked by South Africa’s G20 Presidency, the African Union’s strengthened role in G20 discussions, and a renewed global push for debt relief under the Jubilee Year—ALI seeks to mobilize African leadership for urgent action. The time to act is now.