Côte d’Ivoire: AfDB General Meeting, a transition at the top against a backdrop of global challenges
From May 26 to 30, 2025, Côte d’Ivoire is hosting the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abidjan. This major event marks the end of outgoing President Akinwumi Adesina’s second term and sets the stage for the election of his successor.
Speaking from the Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire, Adesina reflected on his ten years at the helm of the pan-African institution, highlighting the impact of his flagship “High 5” program: Light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa. According to him, these initiatives have positively impacted 565 million people.
Despite a decade marked by successive crises—including the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, food insecurity, climate change, and debt—Adesina stated that the AfDB has remained a resilient and innovative pillar of support for its member countries.
The 2025 edition, held under the theme “Maximizing Africa’s Capital for Sustainable Development,” focuses on the urgent need to mobilize the continent’s internal resources. Ivorian Minister of Planning Nialé Kaba emphasized the importance of leveraging Africa’s natural, cultural, and human assets as drivers of prosperity.
During the opening ceremony, President Alassane Ouattara praised Adesina’s achievements and called for strategic continuity to maintain the AfDB’s central role in Africa’s development.
Five candidates remain in the running to succeed Adesina: Amadou Hott (Senegal), Sidi Ould Tah (Mauritania), Samuel Maimbo (Zambia), Mahamat Abbas Tolli (Chad), and Bajabulile Tshabalala (South Africa). The new president will be announced at the conclusion of the meetings and is expected to take office in September 2025.
In a world undergoing profound change, the AfDB must reinvent itself—becoming more agile, enhancing its capacity to mobilize financial resources, and asserting its geopolitical role to support an Africa firmly committed to autonomy and innovation.
