AfDB Presidency: Adesina rel-elected with 100% votes of regional, non regional members

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has been re-elected to serve a second five-year term as President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) with 100 per cent votes of all regional and non-regional members of the Bank.

The Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Bank, Mrs Niale Kaba announced this after the election conducted virtually on Thursday.

Adesina was first elected President of the Bank on May 28, 2015 and would begin his new term of another five years on September 1.

Kaba said she was delighted that the Board of Governors had re-elected Adesina for a second term in office.

“As shareholders, we strongly support the Bank and we will give him all the necessary support to carry forward and implement his compelling vision for the Bank over the next five years,” she said.

Our correspondent reports that Adesina’s first term focused on a bold new agenda for the Bank Group based on five development priorities known as the High 5s.

The High 5s are Light up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.

Recall that the AfDB president had on Wednesday said the Bank achieved impactful results on the lives of 335 million Africans, including 18 million people with access to electricity, while 141 million people benefited from improved agricultural technologiesfor food security.

According to him, 15 million people have access to finance from private investments, 101 million people provided with access to improved transport and 60 million people gained access to water and sanitation.

The Bank has maintained its AAA-ratings by all major global credit rating agencies for five years in a row while the Board of Governors of the Bank Group approved a 125 per cent increase in the General Capital of the Bank.

The capital rose from 93 billion dollars to 208 billion dollars, the largest in the history of the Bank.