Africa: AfdB Candidates for President Share Their Visions

Dakar — The countdown has begun for the five candidates aspiring to the presidency of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, which will hold its Annual Meetings from May 26 to 29, 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

This Thursday, April 24, an online conference entitled Who Will Be The Next President of the African Development Bank? allowed the candidates to outline their visions, strategies, solutions, and ambitions for Africa concerning current challenges such as the heavy debt burden, demographics, and youth employment.

They are Ms. Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala from South Africa, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah from Mauritania, Mr. Amadou Hott from Senegal, Mr. Abbas Mahamat Tolli from Chad, and Dr. Samuel Munzele Maimbo from Zambia.

Sidi Ould Tah articulated his strategy around four points, which he called the four cardinal points. The first is to secure capital for Africa; the second is to reform Africa's financial architecture; the third is to address African demographics and how they can transform the continent; and finally, the fourth is to build resilient infrastructure and develop natural products.

The Mauritanian paid particular attention to the continent's demographic and economic potential. He highlighted the fact that Africa's population represents 17% of the world's population, with a GDP that represents only 3% of global GDP.

Ould Tah said he would focus on demographic transformation, the development of natural resources, the empowerment of women and youth, and support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) so that Africa can stand on its own two feet.

Amadou Hott, the Senegalese candidate for the AfDB presidency, used his personal journey as an example, emphasizing the importance of education and work in overcoming challenges. He said there is a need for the bank to invest in education and skills development to create job opportunities for African youth.

According to Hott, the importance of the bank having a technically competent and politically astute leader is crucial, given the current geopolitical and trade tensions. He called for investments in infrastructure to integrate African economies, make them more competitive and generate investment in the private sector.

South Africa's Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala, the only woman in the running, said Africa's productivity gap is a key issue, attributing it to a lack of infrastructure that hinders job creation and industrialization. She also presented her strategy, Lift Africa, which focuses on large-scale integrated infrastructure, financial innovation, and internal transformation of the bank to improve its execution.

Tshabalala said capable of meeting challenges and leading teams in critical moments, drawing on her experience acquired in the public and private sectors.

Dr. Samuel Maimbo of Zambia said there was a need for faster growth to address issues such as job creation and access to vital services on the continent, focusing on the African Development Bank's unique position to deliver change at the pace and scale needed, while leveraging its experience and relationships.

Maimbo advocated investing in the bank's governance, diversity, and financial structures to increase its efficiency and effectiveness. He also said regional integration, targeted infrastructure investments, and digitalization are key to accelerating Africa's growth.

Mr. Abbas Mahamat Tolli of Chad used the example of Asia, which he said dominates low-cost manufacturing, while Africa is perceived as an economic environment with an uncompetitive business environment. According to Tolli, this situation can only change by reducing the cost of trade, finance, energy, and connectivity.

At the same time, he assured that the infrastructure sector and agricultural sovereignty are of paramount importance, as they face huge deficits in Africa, which lead to debt challenges and affect the sustainability of our finances. From now on, "it is essential to invest in agriculture in Africa, which has significant arable land," he said.

These five candidates aspiring to the presidency of the African Development Bank have a common ambition, which is to put in place strategies and solutions so that Africa can better exploit the wealth of its capital and address the current challenges it faces.

Read the original article on allAfrica.