African leaders reaffirm support for African Development Bank

The Presidents Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, the Alpha Conde of Guinea, George Weah of Liberia, Sassou Nguesso of Congo, and Umaro Embalo of Guinea praising the interventions of the Bank and in particular its aid to the member states following the 19 CO VID pandemic in good will to mark the opening of Adesina. The Presidents commended the actions of this Bank. At the close of the Annual Meeting of the Bank 2020 on 27 August, Adesina, first elected President of the Bank Group in 2015, was unanimously reelected by the Governing Board by 100 percent vote. The meetings were held for the first time, since the COVID-19 outbreak was limited. 

President Buhari noted that the unanimous election of Adesina reflected a vote of trust in his leadership and programmes, in particular the top 5 priority agenda of the Bank. If applied carefully, the High 5s will assist Africa in achieving much of the UN ‘s sustainability growth objectives. Under the leadership of Adesina, President Weah has committed Liberia to a continued relationship with the Bank. Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara represented Niale Kaba, Minister of National Planning for Ivory and immediate past President of the Bank’s Board of Governors, and reaffirmed the close relations between his country and the bank. 

There were also messages of solidarity from former Nigerian Chairman Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice Chairman Atiku Abubakar, under whose government Adesina served as Minister of Agriculture. Messages were also received from the regional authorities including the African Union Commission, the Eastern and South African Common Market (COMESA), ECOWAS, and the New African Development Partnership (NEPAD). 

In his opening speech, Adesina presented a new vision for creating a much stronger and more robust AFD community with the leadership and ability to produce better quality impacts for Africa while staying stable and financially sustainable. He said that he will concentrate on building a stronger organisation, increasing human resources, enhancing productivity, deepening quality and effect and ensuring fiscal sustainability. The ceremony was presided over by Ghana’s Chancellor of Finance and new Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kenneth Ofori-Atta.

Data Source: African Development Bank Group (AfDB).