Chikwanda is ADB Board Chairperson

Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda has assumed the leadership of the African Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors as its Chairperson for the period 2015/2016.

And Nigerian Development Economist and serving Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwumi Adesina has been elected as the 8th President of the African Development Bank by the Bank’s Board of Governors; currently meeting to commemorate the Bank Group’s 50th Annual Meeting in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Dr. Adesina, 55, succeeds Dr. Donald Kaberuka, whose second term as President of the Bank ends on 31st August, 2015.

Speaking after the election of the new ADB President, Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda described Dr. Adesina as a worthy successor to Dr. Kaberuka, as “he is visionary with a remarkable track record of performance.”

Mr. Chikwanda disclosed that after the SADC preferred candidate Thomas Sakala, a Zimbabwean national, could not go past the 5th round of voting, the SADC regional block threw its voting weight on Dr. Adesina, the Nigerian candidate.

He says Dr. Adesina has transformed agriculture in Nigeria and strikes one as a man of vision, determination and total dedication to duty.

Mr. Chikwanda adds that Dr Adesina has the best credentials professionally and academically and is somebody who seems to embody a veritable vision for Africa.

And Mr Chikwanda is hopeful that 2016 annual meeting of the ADB to be hosted by Zambia will be a resounding success considering Zambia has tremendous experience in hosting international meetings.

He says it is a challenge for the organizers to make sure that people in the hospitality industry in Zambia begin to jack-up things and begin to get ready for a large influx of people so as to maintain the confidence that Africa and the World has shown in according Zambia the status of a preferred destination for safe and sustainable investment.

The Abidjan meeting has been attended by more than 4, 500 people while more than 3, 500 are expected to jet into Lusaka for the 2016 edition.

This is the second time that Zambia will host the ADB Annual Meeting, the first being in 1973.