The President of Cote d’Ivoire Alassane Ouattara led celebrations on Tuesday to mark the African Development Bank’s (www.AfDB.org) 60th anniversary.

“This is an historic milestone and a cause for celebration, but it is also an opportunity to see that the African Development Bank has financed some pivotal infrastructure and helped improve the living conditions of millions of Africans. The Bank is a source of pride and hope for Africa,” President Ouattara said.

He spoke on the second and official day of the Bank’s Diamond jubilee festivities which took place in the country’s economic capital Abidjan, which is home to the institution’s headquarters.

However, President Ouattara added that there was still work to do:

“Our Bank is a steadfast support in times of crisis. Africa still has floods and wars and hunger is rife. Therefore the Bank must do even more and encourage states to invest more across climate, agriculture, wars and endeavour to pursue peace and democracy to bring these wars to an end,” he said.

The head of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Akinwumi Adesina described the Bank’s 60th Anniversary celebrations in Abidjan as a “day of joy”, as he praised host country President Ouattara as “a pillar of extraordinary support”.

Adesina paid tribute to the Bank’s achievements since its inception in Abidjan in 1964. He celebrated how the Bank has supported over 6,575 projects across the continent and how in the past 10 years alone it has invested $77 billion across 3,000 projects to become Africa’s most trusted development partner.

Adesina thanked President Ouattara for hosting the Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan and for his strong support. He described how in 2019 President Ouattara helped the Bank secure a general capital increase of $115 billion – the largest increase in the Bank’s history. The Bank’s total capital rose to $318 billion earlier this May, in another show of shareholder support.

“This provides the firepower to do more for Africa”, said Adesina: “We are today a bigger, bolder and better bank better positioned to meet Africa’s future needs and challenges, to fast-track Africa’s development.”

“Following my election as President in 2015, during my first term, I made a case for a stronger bank with financial resources to help implement and scale up our High 5s: To light up and power Africa; To feed Africa; To industrialize Africa; To integrate Africa; To improve the quality of life of the people of Africa,” Adesina said.

“In the past 9 years, we have provided over $55 billion in support of infrastructure, from energy to roads, corridors, seaports, airports, rail, digital infrastructure, water and sanitation. Today, the Bank is the largest multilateral financier of infrastructure in Africa.”

Adesina added that in the last eight years the Bank’s work has impacted the lives of over 400 million people across Africa. He described how 52 percent of Africans now have access to electricity compared to 25% in 2016 and how the $20 billion desert-to-power project in the Sahel will help deliver 10,000 megawatts of electricity for 250 million people across the 11 countries.

He also celebrated the Bank’s mobilisation of $72 billion to help unlock Africa’s agricultural potential at the Feed Africa Summit in Dakar, Senegal, and its work to support Africa’s efforts to cope with climate change, mobilising $25 billion through its Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme and $14 billion through its Climate Action window.

Adesina concluded with a rallying call: “This celebration is a call to action to build the Africa we want to see. May the African Development Bank keep scoring development goals for Africa”.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
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About the African Development Bank Group: 
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.

For more information: www.AfDB.org

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) must expand its support for female entrepreneurs, as well as young innovators and business creators, to reduce poverty and tackle the lack of jobs in Africa, according to young African entrepreneurs. 

The African youth business representatives were speaking during a panel discussion on the topic “Our world, our experience”, organised shortly after the launch of the Bank’s 60th anniversary celebrations.  

Jean-François Yao, Regional Policy Advisor in charge of Institutional Partnership at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), praised the Bank’s new approach, which now factors in humanitarian emergencies to development issues.  

“The African Development Bank is already doing great things in the humanitarian domain and for a raft of organisations that help to reduce human suffering, and we congratulate them for that,” said Yao. He went on to reiterate that the Bank’s first action with the ICRC, conducted after the signing of a letter of intent in 2019, had made it possible to launch a pilot project empowering women in the Sahel. This project has provided support for vulnerable women and widows affected by the crisis in the Sahel, particularly in Chad, Mali and Niger, and has transformed the lives of numerous people. 

“A Malian woman who sold doughnuts received 200,000 CFA francs,” said Yao. “This enabled her to develop her business, then to make fruit juice, and today she works in second-hand clothing. She was able to buy a plot of land and begin building her own house. She has also been able to send at least three of her six children to a private school.” 

He expressed his satisfaction with the results of this groundbreaking partnership, which was bolstered in 2023 by a memorandum of understanding. This memorandum has made it possible to launch a humanitarian project in South Sudan that will benefit a million internally displaced people. Although the Bank’s and the ICRC’s activities run in parallel, the two institutions have found a shared starting point from which they can implement a development-humanitarian nexus, and they plan to sign a framework agreement in the near future to further strengthen this partnership. 

In the opinion of the private sector representatives, the Bank’s actions need to be clearer and more visible. Better still, the Bank must increase and diversify its operations to develop the private sector, which is the principal provider of employment. 

Christelle Essim Egue, Lamin Barro and Stéphane Aka-Anghui, who all operate in the Ivorian private sector, shared their experiences of working with the Bank Group and their vision for the institution over the next decade. 

“Previously, I produced 500 packets of doughnuts a day; today, I produce 60 packets per minute,” said a visibly proud Christelle Essim Egue, an Ivorian entrepreneur and founder of Pam Holding, a firm specialising in the production of doughnuts and natural pepper. “With the Bank’s support, we were able to create other products.”  

Courtesy of the Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative, which supports women entrepreneurs continent-wide, Christelle received 40 million CFA francs in financing from AFAWA via the pan-African bank ECOBANK. Today, her company is flourishing, and she is preparing to open a new factory and diversify her business by investing in palm oil production. For her palm oil plant, she will need to raise 500 million CFA francs and may turn to the Bank for support. 

Lamin Barro, meanwhile, an innovator and developer of IT solutions, and the CEO of Etudesk, a start-up specialising in online training, has previously partnered with the African Development Bank. The Bank called on his company’s services to support 200 young innovators in Egypt. In Côte d’Ivoire, his start-up helps more than 800 people – in public institutions, local and pan-African companies, and subsidiaries of multinational corporations – in the sphere of technological innovation. 

Praising the Bank’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab (https://apo-opa.co/3zhoaki) initiative, the young up-and-coming entrepreneur stressed that the Bank must help young Africans “to create and innovate”. He added: “One of my dreams is to see an incubator or innovation centre in every university in Côte d’Ivoire, and even in Africa. We can promote ‘education entrepreneurship’ i.e. setting up one’s own business while still at university.” He went on to emphasise that Africa must stand up and be counted when it comes to technological developments such as artificial intelligence, blockchains, etc. As far as this CEO is concerned, the Bank must increase its presence on social media to encounter young people with whom it can “co-develop projects.” 

Pointing out that Côte d’Ivoire’s private sector generates 500,000 jobs a year, Stéphane Aka-Anghui, Executive Director of the General Confederation of Businesses in Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI), is calling for a special partnership with the Bank hinged on a shared objective: to industrialise Africa, create jobs and promote start-ups and innovation among young people. 

“The Ivorian government wants to create eight million jobs by 2030,” he stated. “This can only happen if we create a large number of businesses. If we start one million businesses, they can generate 10 million jobs.” 

The CGECI, which has more than 4,000 companies in Côte d’Ivoire under its umbrella, provides more than 80 percent of the country’s tax revenue. It has already benefited from support from the Bank to help businesses structure themselves better and take advantage of the common market of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The CGECI hopes to develop other initiatives with the Bank’s assistance, such as the national champions programme and the CGECI Academy, an initiative that provides support to start-ups. 

Following a stirring speech from Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President and Chairman of the Boards of Directors of the African Development Bank Group, at the launch of the institution’s 60th anniversary festivities, Aka-Anghui asked him to find the time to come and deliver a similarly inspiring message to Côte d’Ivoire’s business leaders, to encourage them to become true champions for Africa. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Clicked here for photos: https://apo-opa.co/4godeSO

Media contact: 
Romaric Ollo Hien
Communication and External Relations Department
media@afdb.org 

About the African Development Bank Group
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has kicked off activities to celebrate 60 years of its transformative impact on Africa’s development.

Since September 1964 when representatives of 25 African countries gathered in Khartoum, Sudan, to agree on the vision for a bank to drive economic development across Africa, it has been a journey of resilience and passion, including a fair share of bumps and bruises.

Georges Rigobert Aithnard, the Bank’s oldest retiree, captivated attendees at the 60th anniversary commemoration event on Monday 09 September, with his account of the challenges faced by the then-fledgling institution. Speaking as part of a staff panel discussion, the 89-year-old offered unique insights into the Bank’s formative years.

From his role in 1965 as Personal Assistant to the first President of the Bank, to his retirement as Director of the African Development Institute of the Bank in 1995, Aithnard showed deep enthusiasm for his work and a strong belief in the future of the Bank.

He recalled a time when the Bank president struggled to secure a meeting with the vice president of a sister multilateral development bank.

That has since changed, he told the audience of past and present Bank staff, partners, and senior government officials. He affirmed that the African Development Bank has emerged as a leader among its peers and a powerful voice within the multilateral development community.

“When I joined the African Development Bank in 1965, the Bank was much more modest than it is today. There has been robust progress over the years,” Aithnard said. “Despite the fears and challenges the Bank faced then, it confronted problems head-on, secured global ratings, and continued to increase its capital. Today, we are delighted that the Bank has overcome its fears to become a global development institution with influence beyond Africa.”

He encouraged the Bank’s staff and management to continue to work hard, make sacrifices, and believe that the institution can make a greater difference in African countries. “Once knocking on others’ doors, the Bank now finds others knocking on its own. The success of the Bank should be an incentive to the staff,” he added.

Dr. Victor Oladokun, Senior Advisor on Communication and Stakeholder Engagement to the President of the African Development Bank Group moderated the discussion, which featured staff representing various levels of the Bank’s structure.

The Bank’s Director General, East Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office, Nnenna Nwabufo, described the institution as Africa’s partner of choice.

“The Bank is at the centre of the conversation on Africa’s development. It has become Africa’s partner of choice. When African countries want to discuss development, they come to the African Development Bank because it has become a trusted partner,” she said.

She shared the example of the Bank’s work in fragile states, where it continues to have an impact despite obvious challenges. “In our work with fragile states, we don’t see the challenges, we see opportunities.”

Nwabufo joined the Bank’s Treasury Department in 1991 and has held increasingly senior positions, rising to become a director general in January 2021.

Jerome Berndt joined the African Development Bank as a Young Professional (http://apo-opa.co/3Toueyn) in 2016. He has since progressed to become a Principal Fragility and Resilience Officer in the Transition States Coordination Office.

“The learning and friendships I experienced at the Bank over the years have been the greatest inspiration of my career,” Berndt said.

He praised the strong work and contributions of the Bank’s staff and acknowledged the crucial support of partners. “Some of the Bank’s unsung heroes are the young professionals,” he noted.

Joséphine Sallah Ayari, speaking on behalf of the General Services Staff, and Hannatou Mamane, representing the Short-term Staff, also reflected on their work at the Bank, highlighting the changes initiated by the Bank’s President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, to support staff progress.

Ayari highlighted how the Bank has overcome many challenges to become a resilient institution where staff are proud to work.

Summing up her thoughts, Mamane said: “We have to be optimistic. We have an optimistic President who has worked very hard to put the Bank at the heart of Africa’s development. As staff, we have a duty to work even harder. “

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

President Yoweri Museveni has cautioned leaders to be mindful of their health, as their sudden passing will be a loss to the country.

Museveni, who was eulogising the former Minister of Sate for Defence and Veteran Affairs (Defence), Sarah Mateke Nyirabashitsi, at Parliament said a leader’s death creates problems and leaves a gap that must be filled.

“That is why you should carefully check your life, like in this case, it was good that she [Nyirabashitsi] went to check but it was a bit late. But she was going to travel on such a long distance when she had a medical condition which was quite sensitive,” the President said shortly after the special sitting to pay tribute to the fallen lawmaker, on Tuesday, 10 September 2024. 

He recollected the death of former Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, who died in 2015 while returning from a security conference in South Korea, saying that Nyirabashitsi was expected to travel to the same country for the same conference. 

He said that Nyakairima died due to a pre-existing health condition, just like Nyirabashitsi. 

“The fighters should also look out for their lives, not as just theirs, it is also for all of us because when you go, you go but you leave us in problems. How shall we fill your gap, what shall we do; how shall we fill here where you have left?” Museveni asked.

The President, who admitted that he had not interacted much with the late Nyirabashitsi, described her as a very ‘calm lady and did not appear to be the one who is sensitive and aggressive and touchy’.

He said that his interaction with her was when he formed an inter-ministerial committee to study the issue of the Uganda-Congo border. 

“She was there representing Kisoro and they were supposed to brief me, that is when I interacted with her closely. You could see she was very careful with her words, so, it is a big loss,” Museveni said. 

He added, “But the few years she has been here [in Parliament] I am sure she has become an example to those who know her well in the Kisoro area. When you hear people giving testimonies that she was good, you know that she was really good.”

Speaker Anita Among appreciated Museveni for condoling with legislators, saying that the President has always stood with Parliament during moments of grief. 

“When Sarah passed on, you took the initiative and made a call to me, asking what had happened to Sarah. When I explained to you, you were so saddened to lose such a young daughter and we want to thank you for always standing with us. This is the fifth time you are standing with us,” Among said. 

Nyirabashitsi who died on Saturday, 07 September 2024, represented Kisoro District as the woman representative in the 9th and 11th Parliament.  

She was appointed Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development (Children and Youth Affairs) in June 2021 and later redeployed to the defence ministry in April 2024.

The late Nyirabashitsi, who is survived by a son, will be buried in Nyakabingo in Kisoro on Thursday, 12 September 2024.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.