FinDev Canada and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development sign MOU to advance inclusive growth in developing countries

Vancouver (British Columbia), 27 July 2026 – FinDev Canada, Canada's development finance institution, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) to formalize a shared commitment to sustainable and inclusive economic growth in developing markets. The MOU was signed in the presence of His Highness the Aga Khan and the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada. The agreement, signed by FinDev Canada CEO Lori Kerr and Sultan Allana, Director, AKFED, delivers on Joint Declaration between Prime Minister Mark Carney and His Highness the Aga Khan that was made on March 25, 2026. FinDev Canada and AKFED expressed a commitment to collaborate across infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture and financial services sectors where their mandates converge, acknowledging priority geographies in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Asia-Pacific. 

The MOU is informed by the Economic Partnership Platform announced by the Government of Canada and the Ismaili Imamat, which establishes a framework for the two institutions to explore coordinated knowledge sharing, investment, blended finance structures, and technical assistance where their mandates converge. 

Lori Kerr, CEO of FinDev Canada. "AKFED has spent decades building the kind of on-the-ground presence and patient capital that private investors need to see before they commit. Pairing that experience with FinDev Canada's mandate is how we build partnerships and mobilize resources in the markets we serve.”  

Sultan Allana, Director, AKFED. “A shared vision of a more prosperous, just, and pluralist world has guided Canada and AKDN's joint investments of financial, human, and intellectual resources in path-breaking projects both here in Canada and around the world. We look forward to deepening our cooperation with FinDev Canada through this Memorandum of Understanding.”