African Development Bank (AfDB) Greeted with New Executive Directors

By Abdul Rahman Bangura–

Photo Credit: African Development Bank

NEW AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS (NABN) Freetown, Sierra Leone – Dr. Akinwumi Adesina – The President of the African Development Bank Group, approved the new diplomats of the 20-member Board of Directors. They formerly enlisted the Board on 1 August 2022 and began a four-day induction programme on September 1st, 2022 to acquaint themselves with the work of the bank.

“I wish to congratulate you, the new board members, on your election as Executive Directors, who will have the duty, obligation and responsibility to help strengthen the oversight functions of our institution, to provide guidance on our operations, and to support the vision and direction of our work,” Adesina announced.

The amount of women on the board improved from three to five. Malika Dhif, who is the new Executive Director for Morocco, Togo and Tunisia, was formerly the Deputy Director of the Treasury and External Finance in Morocco, in charge of relations with the Arab and Islamic world, America, Asia and international institutions. Meanwhile, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad are exemplified by Chantal Modeste Nonault, a Chartered Accountant, Administrative and Financial Director of the World Bank regional office in Mali.

Mette Knudsen – a Danish national, exemplifiess Denmark, Finland, India, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Before of her appointment, she was Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs at the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The United States of America is portrayed on the Bank’s Board of Directors by Oren Elaine Whyche, a long-time Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Africa Bureau of the US Agency for International
Development (USAID). Lastly, Nomfundo Xenia Ngwenya, a South African national, exemplifies South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. She was recently South African company NXN Analytics Managing Director.

Edmond Raphaël Wega, past Canadian Ambassador to Burkina Faso and Benin, now exemplifies Canada, China, Kuwait, Korea and Turkey on the Bank’s Board of Directors. Brahim Bouzeboudjène, a high-ranking official commissioned with withstanding corruption in Algeria and former Director of the Office of the Prime Minister of Algeria, is the new Executive Director for Algeria, Guinea Bissau and Madagascar.

The Executive Director for Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is the Angolan Economist Joao Luis Ngimbi. A former Gabonese Minister of Energy and Secretary General of the Bank of Central African States, Désiré Guedon, is now the Executive Director for Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Gabon, Mali, Niger and Senegal.

Gérard Bussier, Deputy Financial Secretary in the Mauritius Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, is the new Executive Director for Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius and Zambia. The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan are exemplified by the Liberian Economist Rufus Darkortey. Another Economist, Jonathan Nzayikorera from Rwanda, who knows the Bank adequately after fulfilling as Senior Advisor to his
predecessor, now represents Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The new board members were ordained pursuing the general election of Executive Directors by the Boards of Governors at the African Development Bank Group’s Annual Meetings held in Accra, Ghana, in May 2022. The Board of Directors of the African Develto ppursuantis comprised of 20 members. Thirteen members are elected by the Governors of Regional member countries (54 African countries) and seven by the Governors of non-regional
member countries (27 countries). The Executive Directors are elected for a period of three years, renewable once.

The members of the Board of Directors are accountable for the procedure of the general operations of the bank. They are based at the bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire as frequent as the work of the bank assigns. The President of the Bank is the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

For New Africa Business News (NABN) Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports,  Africa Correspondent