Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwunmi Adesinahas been sworn in as president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the second term in office.
The chairperson of the bank’s board of governors and Ghana’s finance minister, Mr. Kenneth Ofori-Attah, administered the oath of office which held virtually and broadcast online on Tuesday.
Adesina was firsts elected on May 28, 2015 and re-elected on August 27 for another five-year tenure after getting a 100 per cent vote of all regional and non-regional members of the Bank.
He is the first Nigerian to be elected and re-elected to serve as the bank’s President.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Heads of States, Governors, and external stakeholders, according to a statement from the bank.
Commenting on his victory, Adesina had said: “I am deeply grateful for the collective trust, strong confidence and support of our shareholders for electing me for a second term as President.
“It is yet another call for selfless service to Africa and the African Development Bank, to which I will passionately devote myself.
“The future beckons us for a more developed Africa and a much stronger and resilient African Development Bank Group. We will build on the strong foundations of success in the past five years, while further strengthening the institution, for greater effectiveness and impacts.”
His first term as president of Africa’s premier development finance institution, comprising 54 regional and 27 non-regional member countries, focused on five key development priorities tagged the High 5s.
These include Light up and Power Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.
During the first term, the bank achieved impactful results on the lives of 335 million Africans, including: 18 million people with access to electricity; 141 million people benefiting from improved agricultural technologies for food security; 15 million people benefiting from access to finance from private investments; 101 million people provided with access to improved transport; and 60 million people gaining access to water and sanitation.
