A defining chapter in Africa’s development journey closed yesterday as Dr. Akinwumi Adesina officially bowed out after ten years at the helm of the African Development Bank (AfDB), handing over leadership to Mauritania’s Dr. Sidi Ould Tah.
The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, was more than a routine leadership change. It was a moment of renewal and continuity for Africa’s premier development finance institution, watched by finance ministers, central bank governors, and dignitaries from the Bank’s 81 member states.
Presiding over the historic transition, the Chair of AfDB’s Board of Governors, Ludovic Ngatsé of the Republic of Congo, underscored the importance of leadership succession in strengthening the Bank’s vision.
An emotional Adesina, visibly touched by the occasion, described his decade-long stewardship as “the greatest honour and privilege” of his professional career. “Ten years ago, we embarked on a journey together — a journey of transformative growth for our Bank and for our continent,” he said, his words drawing warm applause from the packed auditorium.
That journey was not without landmark achievements. Under Adesina’s watch, the Bank’s capital base leapt from $93 billion to $318 billion, cementing its status as Africa’s trusted development partner. Its projects, he noted, touched over 565 million lives across the continent — from powering homes with electricity to driving food security, improving healthcare, connecting roads, and expanding access to clean water.
Central to his vision was the Bank’s “High 5” agenda — Light Up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa — a blueprint that has since been embraced as a continental development framework.
Beyond numbers, Adesina leaves behind an institution that maintained its triple-A rating, mobilised over $55 billion for infrastructure, and positioned itself as a critical partner for the African Continental Free Trade Area. His tenure also attracted global recognition, winning him respect as a voice of Africa in international economic discourse.
Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, the ninth President of AfDB, now shoulders the responsibility of sustaining and expanding this legacy. With Africa facing a $2 trillion debt burden and losing an estimated $580 billion annually to illicit financial flows, expectations are high that his leadership will navigate the continent through economic headwinds while accelerating growth.
As the gavel of leadership passed from Adesina to Tah, the ceremony resonated with one message — that Africa’s future rests not only on the strength of its institutions but also on the calibre of those who steer them.
