In a New Year address to African Development Bank (AfDB) staff in Tunis on 7 February, AfDB President Donald Kaberuka praised employees for their work in 2013, calling them "soldiers of development" and encouraging them to do even more to improve living conditions of African people in 2014. He said "the road is still long and we have a lot to do as millions of people are still wondering where to find a job and how to improve their living conditions."

Kaberuka touched on complex and painful events in some parts of Africa and expressed hope for a quick resolution of the conflicts in South Sudan and Central African Republic. He also expounded on various initiatives underway to further strengthen the AfDB's position as the premier development finance institution on the continent.

He praised the staff members for the their daily sacrifice in sometime very difficult conditions like in South Soudan or the Central African Republic and also outlined the Bank's plans to return to its Headquarters in Abidjan in 2014, saying the most important things were safety for staff and that the organization continued to operate smoothly throughout the move.