The 60th Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) commenced on Tuesday, 27 May 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, marking a significant milestone for the continent’s premier multilateral development institution. This year’s sessions have drawn more than 5,000 high-level delegates, including heads of state and government, finance ministers, central bank governors, leading business figures, academics, and representatives of think tanks from across the African continent and beyond.
In his keynote address at the opening ceremony, the President of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, emphasised the profound impact the Bank has had on the continent since its inception in 1964. “The African Development Bank has fundamentally transformed Africa’s economic and social fabric,” he noted, underscoring the institution’s strategic role in implementing Côte d’Ivoire’s national development priorities. According to the Ivorian government, cooperation initiatives between the country and the Bank have more than doubled in scope over the past ten years, evidencing an increasingly robust development partnership.
The meetings are taking place under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development”. This focus encourages the exploration of comprehensive reforms and forward-looking policies that can enhance the effectiveness of financial, human, and entrepreneurial capital. The overarching aim is to facilitate structural transformation across the continent—an ambition that resonates deeply amid pressing economic and environmental challenges.
President Ouattara called attention to Africa’s demographic advantage and natural resource wealth. “Africa possesses immense potential — a young, dynamic population, abundant investment opportunities, and a promising economic outlook,” he stated. He argued that better capital deployment could be catalytic in steering Africa toward a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient economic trajectory.
The president also paid tribute to the leadership of AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina, lauding his stewardship of the Bank’s “High 5s” strategy, which encapsulates five priority areas: Light Up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa. These strategic priorities have underpinned the Bank’s interventions in regional infrastructure, agricultural value chains, industrial policy, and regional integration.
The meetings, which run through to Friday, will culminate in a pivotal election for the institution’s presidency. The list of candidates comprises Amadou Hott (Senegal), a former Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation; Samuel Munzele Maimbo (Zambia), currently a Senior Advisor at the World Bank; Sidi Ould Tah (Mauritania), head of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa; Abbas Mahamat Tolli (Chad), current Governor of the Bank of Central African States; and Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa), the current Acting Senior Vice President of the AfDB and former Chief Financial Officer.
Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is headquartered in Abidjan and serves 54 African member states along with 27 non-regional member countries. Its mandate is to promote inclusive and sustainable economic development and social progress. Notably, China joined the AfDB as a non-regional member in 1985, highlighting the Bank’s strategic global partnerships. For further details, readers may refer to the African Development Bank Group’s official site.
As Africa grapples with both long-standing developmental challenges and emerging global uncertainties, this year’s Annual Meetings are poised to shape the Bank’s strategic direction for the years ahead—ensuring that Africa’s capital assets serve not just as economic tools, but as foundations for equitable growth and continental integration.
