The President and Chairman of the Boards of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has paid tribute to the preeminent role played by the institution’s staff in Africa’s development. He was speaking Monday, during the official launch of festivities to mark the Bank’s 60th anniversary in Abidjan.

“As President of the African Development Bank, you matter to me. Regardless of your title or grade, you matter very much to the African Development Bank and you matter to Africa!” This was Dr. Adesina’s poignant and empathetic message to colleagues meeting at the Hôtel Ivoire in Abidjan, and in the Bank’s 40 country offices across Africa as well as in Tokyo, Japan, to celebrate six decades of commitment by the continent’s premier development finance institution. 

“Today, as in the past, you are part of Africa’s transformation. The Bank’s entire ecosystem plays a part in each project. Over the last 60 years, different types of staff have brought genuine change to the continent. Our work over the last eight years has transformed the lives of 400 million people. I would like to thank you for your extraordinary efforts,” declared Adesina. 

Praising the courage of members of staff deployed in Somalia and Sudan – both countries facing fragile contexts – Adesina paid tribute to those who risk their own and their families’ lives on a daily basis to advance Africa’s cause.  

Amid applause from hundreds of present and former staff and guests, the Bank Group chief said: “If anyone were to ask me what I will miss the most at the end of my term of office as the head of this institution, I will always say: it’s the people. Every time I say it, I am full of emotion.” 

The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier multilateral development institution and now has over 2,000 employees. It has funded 6,575 projects on the continent since it was established on 10 September 1964. The first of these were implemented in Kenya and Sierra Leone. In 60 years, the Bank's capital has grown from $250 million to $318 billion,” recalled Adesina.    

“I thank our staff for creating this story for Africa. There is still plenty to do, and it is thanks to their support that we will do it. And I will do everything I can to attract and retain the most talented people to respond to future challenges for both our institution and our continent. I wish you a happy 60th anniversary!” concluded the Bank Group’s president.  

Like some members of staff who spoke of the Bank’s decisive commitment and said ‘happy anniversary’ in their native languages, Adesina wished his colleagues a happy anniversary in his own native language, Yoruba. 

During the launch of the festivities, Adama Coulibaly, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Finance and the Budget, representing Nialé Kaba, Minister of Planning, the Economy and Development and the Bank’s governor for Côte d’Ivoire, expressed his government’s profound gratitude to Adesina for his leadership and significant achievements as the head of the institution.  

“At a personal level, I would like to say that you are the heart and soul of this institution. Looking at the results achieved, the African Development Bank has come a long way in six decades. Your efforts have helped lift millions of Africans out of poverty. This 60th anniversary is an opportunity for us to celebrate how far we have come and together, face the challenges of building the Africa we want,” declared Coulibaly. 

He reaffirmed the commitment of Côte d’Ivoire, which is home to the Bank’s headquarters, to supporting the institution in achieving its five operational priorities. “Our partnership with the Bank Group is special. May the coming decades be full of new achievements and progress for staff, for the Bank and for the whole of our continent,” he commented. 

Prior to the speeches by these key figures, the chair of the Bank’s Staff Council, Foster Ofosu paid a warm tribute to all employees, working both at its headquarters in Abidjan and in the various country offices.  

“The Bank exists because you exist. Your dedication to building our Africa is flawless. Be proud of the work you have done,” said Ofusu to the hundreds of members of staff attending the celebration.