By AfricaHeadline Staff | Abidjan, May 26, 2025
In a deeply emotional and heartfelt address, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), officially opened the 2025 Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire — marking his final speech as head of the institution after a transformative decade of leadership.
AfricaHeadline Reports Team
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“Ten years ago, I stood before you without a single grey hair. Today, with silver temples, I look back not at numbers, but at lives touched, hopes fulfilled, and a mission delivered,” said Adesina at the traditional President’s Media Welcome Breakfast, addressing journalists from across Africa and beyond.
Adesina recalled some of the institution’s historic milestones under his tenure. Since 2015, the Bank’s capital has more than tripled — from $93 billion to $318 billion — while the African Development Fund reached its highest replenishment in history, raising $8.9 billion.
But beyond financial figures, Adesina centered his message on the human stories behind the data. From the 565 million lives impacted across Africa, he highlighted key achievements:
28 million people now have access to electricity, including the visionary Mission 300, aiming to connect 300 million Africans by 2030.
104 million people are now food secure, thanks to AfDB’s swift response to the food crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine.
In West Africa, the Senegambia Bridge, funded by the African Development Fund, turned a two-day ferry crossing into a 15-minute trip, boosting trade and reconnecting communities.
Water and sanitation projects in Egypt and Lesotho have improved daily life for millions, from schoolgirls to rural nurses.
“In a village in Kenya, a woman was asked if she knew the African Development Bank. She replied, I don’t know the Bank. I don’t know its President. All I know is that we once lived in darkness — now we have light. That, my friends, is development,” Adesina said.
At the heart of the Bank’s success lies the High 5s agenda: Light up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.
Once viewed as strategic pillars, the High 5s have become, in Adesina’s words, “a continental movement and the compass guiding Africa’s transformation.”
Consultations with all 81 shareholder countries for the Bank’s new Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033) confirmed what leaders and communities across the continent already knew: the High 5s must continue.
“They are no longer just our priorities — they are Africa’s,” Adesina affirmed.
With his term nearing its end, Adesina expressed full confidence in the institution’s resilience and future trajectory.
| The Succession and Legacy of Akinwumi Adesina at the AfDB
“We are leading global financial innovation, driving regional integration, and equipping Africa to lead in food security, energy, digital transformation, and climate resilience,” he said. “The Bank’s compass remains steady, and its sails are high.”
This year’s Annual Meetings, themed “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development,” are set to welcome over 5,000 delegates from 91 countries. High-level dialogues will focus on economic resilience, resource mobilization, green energy transitions, and the urgent need for homegrown solutions to Africa’s challenges.
In closing, Adesina turned to the press with a direct and heartfelt appeal: “You are not just observers — you are amplifiers of Africa’s voice. Challenge us, inspire us, and help the world engage with our continent.”
Raising a symbolic toast, he concluded:
“To progress.
To partnership.
And yes — to the High 5s.”
