Akinwunmi Adesina sworn-in for second term as AfDB President

Dr Akinwumi Adesina has been sworn-in as the newly re-elected President of the African Development Bank for a second term. The swearing-in and oath-taking ceremony took place on Tuesday and was broadcast virtually.

The event was attended by Heads of States, Governors, Nigeria’s former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and over 200 external stakeholders who joined physically and virtually.

The Chairperson of the AfDB board of Governors and Ghana’s Finance Minister, Kenneth Ofori-Attah, administered the oath of office.

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.

Back story: Nairametrics reported a few days ago when Adesina was re-elected as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), for another five-year term.

The re-election took place electronically during AfDBs’ 2020 Annual Meeting.

On his intentions to run as the multilateral bank’s President for a second time, Mr. Adesina stressed the need for unity to enable the continent to pull together and stay focused on the goal of fighting the effect of the pandemic on Africa’s economy.

According to him, “pulling together has always been the strength of the African Development Bank.”

What the future holds for Africa

Adesina said, “Today, a rainbow stretches from the 81 member countries of the African Development Bank across the deep blue skies of Africa…The future beckons us for a more developed Africa and a much stronger and resilient African Development Bank.”

Ofori-Atta, who administered the Oath Office, explained that he had no doubt that Africa’s premier development bank had secured the right leadership.

“We need to continue to steer and direct the Bank’s efforts to setting global standards of excellence, integrity, commitment to service and responsiveness to the challenges of the continent,” he said.

Going forward in his new term, he would focus on building on the collective achievements and a stronger and more resilient African Bank Group. “Our focus will be on institutions, people, delivery and sustainability. Together we win for Africa.

“Yet again, let us move forward, driven by the power of our mission, inspired by the primacy of our vision and emboldened by the strength of our togetherness,” Adesina said.