Akinwumi Adesina Sworn-In For Second Term As AfDB President

By Olamilekan Alani

Dr Akinwumi Adesina has been sworn-in as the newly re-elected eight President of the African Development Bank for a second term.

The swearing-in ceremony and oath-taking took place on Tuesday and was attended by Heads of States, Governors, Nigeria’s former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and over 200 external stakeholders who joined physically and virtually.

Dr Adesina, Nigeria’s former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, was re-elected on August 27 to serve a second five-year term, after a unanimous vote of all Governors, regional and non-regional members of the Bank.

The election which was announced by the former Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Bank, Mrs. Niale Kaba, Minister of National Planning of Côte d’Ivoire, took place on the last day of the 2020 55th Annual Meetings.

The AfDB President described his re-election as historic, becoming the first President of the bank to be re-elected by 100 percent votes of all its shareholders and the first Nigerian to hold the post.

During his first 5-year term in office, the bank focused on five key development priorities known as the High 5s: Light up and Power Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.

The bank, Africa’s premier development finance institution, comprising 54 regional and 27 non-regional member countries, was able to impact the lives of 335 million Africans.