The African Development Bank has been an accelerator of Africa's development for the last 10 years, Dr Akinwumi Adesina President African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, said today The outgoing president said that the five highs of the bank -to light up and power Africa, feed Africa, industrialize Africa, integrate Africa and improve the quality of life of the people of Africa - have been transformational for Africa.
Giving a key address during the Formal Opening Ceremony 2025 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group today in Abidjan, Dr Adesina said that in the past decade the work of the African Development Bank has impacted the lives of 565 million This includes 28 million people with access to electricity, 104 million people with food security, 121 million people with access to improved transport, 128 million people with access to improved health services, 67 million with improved access to information and communication technology, 63 million people with access to drinking water and 34 million people with access to sanitation, he added.
The Bank, he said, has accelerated regional integration with massive support for infrastructure to support the African continental free trade area. "Over the ten-year period under my presidency the African Development would have provided a total of USD 102 billion in support to Africa.
This represents 46% of all the financing of the bank since its establishment in 1964", he explained.
