Accra to Host AfDB Annual Meetings for 2021

By Adedapo Adesanya

Ghana’s capital city of Accra has been selected as the venue of next year’s Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The announcement was made at the conclusion of this year’s event which was held virtually from Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, where the AfDB is headquartered, due to restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was the first time in the AfDB’s 56-year history that the event was held virtually. Only statutory issues, such as the election of the bank’s president and a governors’ dialogue, were dealt with over the course of three days.

Speaking on the latest development, Ghanaian Finance Minister, Mr Kenneth Ofori-Atta, said the country was looking forward to hosting the event. He thanked Côte d’Ivoire for handing over the baton “in such a spectacular way.”

“It is with great honour and humility that I accept, on behalf of the Republic of Ghana, to chair the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank Group and host the Annual Meetings for 2021,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.

“Let me thank Côte d’Ivoire’s Planning and Development Minister, Mrs Nialé Kaba for her incredible strength, fortitude and wisdom. The results today are a clear manifestation of what a great woman she is.”

The AfDB, however, did not make any mention on whether the event will be held physically or virtually due to the dynamic nature of the pandemic.

Accra, coincidentally, also hosts the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The headquarters was recently officially commissioned by the Ghanaian government and handed over to the African Union recently.

Business Post had reported last week that AfDB President, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, was re-elected to lead the regional lender for another five years after getting a 100 per cent votes of all regional and non-regional members of the bank.

Mr Adesina will be sworn-in on Tuesday, September 1 in a ceremony that will be held virtually at 9 am.