The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group is celebrating its 60th anniversary on the banks of the Ebrié Lagoon in Abidjan on Tuesday, 10 September 2024.
“This 60th anniversary is an opportunity for us to celebrate the ground we have covered together and to renew our mutual commitment to building the Africa we want,” said Adama Coulibaly, Ivorian Minister of Finance and Budget, on Monday, representing Kaba Nialé, Minister of Economy, Planning and Development and Chairman of the AfDB’s Board of Governors.
”As the host country of the AfDB, Cote d’Ivoire has supported the project to establish the Bank from the outset. In view of the bank’s achievements, I would like to pay tribute to the current President, Mr Adesina Akinwumi, as well as the Bank’s past Presidents,’ he added.
“I would also like to congratulate the Board of Governors, the Board of Directors, the shareholder countries and the Bank’s management and staff for the work they have done,” said the Ivorian Minister of Finance and Budget.
He recalled that Ivory Coast in a spirit of African solidarity, had applied to host the headquarters of the African Development Bank in Abidjan, the country’s economic capital.
“They also took the appropriate steps to support the Bank’s activities so that it could become a solid financial institution capable of meeting Africa’s development challenges,” the minister said.
“Today, we honour this legacy, this vision of our predecessors who understood early on the importance of building pan-African institutions to support the continent’s development,” he added.
“As President of the African Development Bank, you are important to me. Whatever your title, whatever your rank, you are very important to the African Development Bank, you are important to Africa,” Adesina said.
He added: “Yesterday and today, you are part of Africa’s transformation. For every project, the whole ecosystem of the Bank contributes” to the continent’s development.
“Over the past 60 years, different types of staff have been able to make a real difference to the continent. Our work over the last eight years has changed the lives of 400 million people. I want to thank you for your extraordinary work,” he said.
According to the AfDB, the financing required to accelerate Cote d’Ivoire’s structural transformation is estimated at $4.7 billion per year until 2030. This will bridge the financing gap.
At the end of July 2024, the African Development Bank Group’s active portfolio in Côte d’Ivoire comprised 40 operations with total commitments of around USD 3 billion, said Adama Coulibaly.
Côte d’Ivoire is preparing to host the next AfDB Annual Meetings, scheduled for May 2025. This event will not only be an opportunity to review current development strategies and policies, but also to elect a new president for the institution.
AP/sf/lb/as/APA