African Union Welcomes Akinwumi Adesina’s Reelection as AfDB President
ADDIS ABABA – The Chairperson of African Union Commission has congratulated Akinwumi Adesina after he was reelected as the president of African Development Bank (AfDB) on Thursday.
The Bank’s Board of Governors elected Adesina on the final day of the 2020 Annual Meetings of the AfDB which were held virtually due to disruptions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My warmest congratulations to my brother on his re-election to a second term as President of the AfDB group,” said Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of AUC, in a message posted on Twitter.
“The African Union looks forward to continuing our close and fruitful collaboration to achieve the Africa We Want,” he added.
Adesina – who held the position in May 2015, will now continue to serve as president for a second five-year term beginning on September 1, 2020.
The Nigerian banker said he was “deeply grateful” for the trust, confidence and support of the AfDB’s shareholders for electing him for a second term.
“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,” Adesina said.
Adesina’s reelection bid had faced a serious hurdle following abuse of allegations leveled against him.
Whistleblowers in January accused Adesina of abuses of office including favoritism in hiring fellow Nigerians, and giving out overly generous severance packages.
However, the bank’s ethics board investigation cleared him of wrongdoing twice – an outcome rejected by the United States, AfDB’s second-largest shareholder.
The Chairperson of the Board of Governors of AfDB expressed delight at Adesina’s reelection.
“As shareholders, we strongly support the Bank and will give him all the necessary support to carry forward and implement his compelling vision for the Bank over the next five years,” chairperson Niale Kaba said, after the vote.
According to the AfDB, Adesina’s first term saw the Bank achieve positive impact on the lives of millions of Africans while maintaining its AAA-ratings by all major global credit rating agencies for five years in a row.
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Featured Image: The Chairperson AUC Mahamat and the President of AfDB Adesina met in Addis Ababa in February, last year [Photo File/AU]
