World
Adesina, Ouattara Laud AfDB’s Progress at 60
By Adedapo Adesanya
The head of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, has lauded the lender’s contribution to the continent’s development as it marks its 60th anniversary in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
He spoke on the second and official day of the bank’s Diamond Jubilee festivities at the institution’s headquarters on Tuesday, September 10, describing the event as a “day of joy”, praising President Alassane Ouattara as “a pillar of extraordinary support.”
Mr Adesina paid tribute to the bank’s achievements since its inception in Abidjan in 1964 and celebrated how the financial institution has supported over 6,575 projects across the continent, adding that in the last 10 years alone, it has invested $77 billion across 3,000 projects to become Africa’s most trusted development partner.
The former Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria narrated how in 2019 President Ouattara helped the bank secure a general capital increase of $115 billion – the largest increase in its history, a move that saw the bank’s total capital rise to $318 billion earlier this May.
“This provides the firepower to do more for Africa”, said Mr Adesina: “We are today a bigger, bolder and better bank better positioned to meet Africa’s future needs and challenges, to fast-track Africa’s development.”
“Following my election as President in 2015, during my first term, I made a case for a stronger bank with financial resources to help implement and scale up our High 5s: To light up and power Africa; To feed Africa; To industrialize Africa; To integrate Africa; To improve the quality of life of the people of Africa,” Mr Adesina said.
“In the past 9 years, we have provided over $55 billion in support of infrastructure, from energy to roads, corridors, seaports, airports, rail, digital infrastructure, water and sanitation. Today, the bank is the largest multilateral financier of infrastructure in Africa,” he added.
Mr Adesina added that in the last eight years, the bank’s work has impacted the lives of over 400 million people across Africa.
He noted how 52 per cent of Africans now have access to electricity compared to 25 per cent in 2016 and how the $20 billion desert-to-power project in the Sahel will help deliver 10,000 megawatts of electricity for 250 million people across the 11 countries.
He also celebrated the bank’s mobilisation of $72 billion to help unlock Africa’s agricultural potential at the Feed Africa Summit in Dakar, Senegal, and its work to support Africa’s efforts to cope with climate change, mobilising $25 billion through its Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme and $14 billion through its Climate Action window.
“This celebration is a call to action to build the Africa we want to see. May the African Development Bank keep scoring development goals for Africa,” he charged.
On his part, President Ouattara also lauded the bank for its role on the continent.
“This is a historic milestone and a cause for celebration, but it is also an opportunity to see that the African Development Bank has financed some pivotal infrastructure and helped improve the living conditions of millions of Africans. The bank is a source of pride and hope for Africa,” he said.
However, President Ouattara added that there was still work to do.
“Our bank is a steadfast support in times of crisis. Africa still has floods and wars and hunger is rife. Therefore the Bank must do even more and encourage states to invest more across climate, agriculture, wars and endeavour to pursue peace and democracy to bring these wars to an end,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The global markets are experiencing relief as the United States and China, the world’s two largest economies, have agreed to slash tariffs on each other, to ease effects of a trade war.
Speaking after talks with Chinese officials in Geneva, US Treasury Secretary, Mr Scott Bessent told reporters that the two sides had reached a deal for a 90-day pause on measures.
US trade representative Jamieson Greer said so-called reciprocal tariffs were now at 10 per cent each.
Business Post reports that in real terms, the deal means the US is reducing its 145 per cent tariff announced by President Donald Trump to 30 per cent on Chinese goods.
A tariff of 20 per cent had been implemented on China when President Trump took office over what his administration said was a failure to stop illegal drugs entering the US.
China has agreed to reduce its 125 per cent retaliatory tariffs to 10 per cent on US goods.
Sector-specific tariffs, such as the 25 per cent tax on cars, aluminium and steel, remain in place.
Last month, President Trump announced a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tarrifs. However, China was the only country exempt from the pause on the retaliatory tariffs above the base 10 per cent levies.
The development had impacted many markets across the world from stocks to oil to bonds and minerals.
Mr Bessent said after a weekend of negotiations in Switzerland, the countries had a mechanism for continued talks.
It is the second major trade announcement made by the US in the last week, after a deal was secured with the United Kingdom on Thursday.
The move signals a willingness from the Americans to make deals on tariffs.
The news was received positively by major markets.
Brent crude is currently up 2.9 per cent to $65.78 per barrel while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is up 3.1 per cent to $62.91 a barrel.
Asian stock markets on Monday as major indexes were up. In China, the Shanghai Composite stock index rose 0.8 per cent, the Shenzhen Component gained 1.7 per cent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up nearly 3 per cent.
Korea’s Kospi grew 1.1 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei was up 0.8 per cent while India’s Nifty 50 index of most valuable companies gained more than 3 per cent, as per Sky News.
CNBC reports that US stocks look set to rise on the open, based on after-hours trading. Wall Street’s tech-heavy Nasdaq is expected to rise by 3.3 per cent, and the S&P 500 index of companies relied on to be stable and profitable by 2.5 per cent.
Mr Bessent also said, “As long as there is good faith effort, engagement and constructive dialogue, then we will keep moving forward,” in response to questions from journalists.
The market will await further developments and possible ease to recent headwinds.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The new pope of the Catholic Church has been revealed as Robert Prevost of the United States, the first American pontiff in history.
Following his emergence, he will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
Voting commenced on Wednesday, and after three rounds of black smoke, white smoke billowed above the Sistine Chapel on Thursday evening.
This is the signal that cardinals had selected a new pontiff on the second day of the conclave.
Prevost, age 69, from Chicago, Illinois, is a leader with global experience. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and served as a Bishop in Peru. He most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments. He is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms.
There were 133 voting cardinals, who had all been sequestered inside the Vatican during the conclave. Any one of them needed two-thirds of the vote to become the next pope.
“Peace be with you all,” said Leo XIV in his first remarks as pope.
“This is the first greetings of the resurrected Christ, the good shepherd who has given up his life for God,” he said, explaining the choice of his greeting. “And I should also like this greeting of peace to enter our hearts and our families.”
Leo XIV looked visibly emotional as he waved to the adoring crowd in the square below the balcony.
A leader with global experience, he spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments. He is expected to build on Pope Francis’ reforms.
He worked for a decade in Trujillo, Peru, and was later appointed bishop of Chiclayo, another Peruvian city, where he served from 2014 to 2023.
Prevost also holds a Peruvian passport and has been a Peruvian citizen since 2015.
By Dipo Olowookere
A white smoke was seen from the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican City on Thursday evening, signalling the election of a new pope for the Catholic Church.
This is coming a few days after the previous occupier of the position, Pope Francis, was laid to rest after he died on Easter Monday of 2025 at the age of 88 after an illness.
At the moment, the name of the new pope has not been announced. This would be done later by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
About 133 Cardinals partook in the process of electing a new pope, the largest in history, with 103 of them doing this for the first time.
On Wednesday, the Conclave could not finalise the election of a new pope, with a black smoke emanating from the the Sistine Chapel.
Details later…
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