By Adedapo Adesanya
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has announced the appointment of Mr Souley Amadou as General Counsel and Director of the Legal Service Department, a position which he will take over effective November 1, 2021.
A transactional lawyer, Mr Amadou has over 25 years of substantive legal work experience, including over 20 years spent at the bank, where assumed the role of Acting Corporate Secretary & General Counsel of Africa50 from 2015 to 2018.
A highly recognized legal professional for his strategic leadership and management skills in multicultural settings, he has a robust track record providing legal advice, support and services to the Bank both in public and private sector operations.
Prior to this appointment, he was the Acting General Counsel and Director of the Legal Services Department since July 1, 2020.
As a Manager of the Private Sector Operations Division in the Legal Services Department, a position he has held since 2009, Mr Amadou has worked effectively to ensure proper due diligence of legal aspects for all non-sovereign operations of the Bank Group.
He has also demonstrated innovation in people management and mentorship with strong backing from a core team of lawyers he has put in place, and actively participated in the design and implementation of ground-breaking initiatives to mobilize third-party funding from sovereign and non-sovereign entities such as Africa50.
His other key achievements include effectively counselling governments in the development and preparation of legal and contractual regimes and the structuring of complex public-private partnerships.
Prior to joining the Abidjan-based lender in 1999, Mr Amadou held a series of positions in the regulation of futures markets in Washington DC and Paris, serving as lawyer and consultant for the Commodity Future Trading Commission (CFTC), and Euronext in France, formerly known as MATIF SA. He also served at the then French future markets regulator (Conseil du Marché à Terme).
A senior corporate lawyer in major law firms, such as Cabinet TONINI and former Coudert Brothers, his work focused on legal support for privatization, securitization, and infrastructure project finance transactions.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Amadou said: “I am delighted to take on this crucial responsibility and would like to express my appreciation to President Adesina for the confidence bestowed upon me, through this appointment as General Counsel of the premier development finance institution in Africa.
“Having already served the institution in numerous capacities, I am fully cognizant of the challenges that come with this role and I will do my utmost to ensure that the Legal Services Department provides the entire institution with quality services that enable it to deliver on its development mandate.”
He holds a Doctorate degree (PhD) in Business Law, University of Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand I (1993); a Master of Research (MRes-DEA) in Tax & Business, University of Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand I (1990); and a Certificate of Aptitude for the Legal Profession (CAPA).
Speaking on the appointment, the President of the group, Mr Akinwumi Adesina said: “Dr Souley Amadou is a seasoned lawyer with great leadership qualities who will provide the institution with the requisite direction and guidance as General Counsel.
“Having practised and advised at the highest levels, Amadou is a well-respected international lawyer with a solid track record and is imbued with in-depth knowledge of the Bank’s operations, policies and procedures.”
Modupe Gbadeyanka 
Aduragbemi Omiyale