Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina has been sworn in for a second term as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The virtual swearing in ceremony held on Tuesday September 1 at the AfDB headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
Adesina was the minister of agriculture during the administration of the former President, Goodluck Jonathan.
He was first elected as president of the bank in May 2015 as the first Nigerian to hold such position and was re-elected as the president of the bank on Thursday August 27 this year.
The oath of office was administered by Kenneth Ofori-Attah, Ghana’s finance minister and chair of the AfDB board of governors.
Adesina, who expressed gratitude to the shareholders for the support, vowed to do more within his capacity as the president.
His words, “I am deeply grateful for the collective trust, strong confidence and support of our shareholders for electing me for a second term as President.”
It is yet another call, he noted, for selfless service to Africa and the African Development Bank, to which I will passionately devote myself.
While hinting that the future beckons them for a more developed Africa and a much stronger and resilient African Development Bank Group, Adesina pledged, “We will build on the strong foundations of success in the past five years, while further strengthening the institution, for greater effectiveness and impacts”.