AfDB Boss Harps On Realising Africa’s Economic Opportunities 

The President,-African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has  stated the role of the bank in supporting stability, growth and sustainable development in Africa.
Presenting his address to the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA),  Ireland’s leading international affairs think tank, Adesina highlighted some opportunities and challenges Africa currently face.
According  him, such challenges include food security, debt sustainability, climate change, and the financing gap, as well as what AfDB  is doing to  support  and accelerate development in Africa.
Adesina said Africa’s challenges can be overcome through enhanced crisis preparedness,  development of quality healthcare systems and infrastructure projects to strengthen the continent’s resilience.
Often described as “Africa’s Optimist-in-Chief”, Adesina is widely lauded for his visionary leadership and passion for Africa’s transformation.
He was first elected President of the African Development Bank Group in 2015 and was unanimously re-elected for a second five-year term in 2020.
A former Nigerian Minister for Agriculture, in 2017, he was conferred with the World Food Prize, also known as the “Nobel Prize for Agriculture”.
Adesina had led the African Development Bank Group to achieve the highest capital increase since its establishment in 1964.