Tunisia: AFDB Executive Directors Begin Study Tour

2 March 2007
African Development Bank (Abidjan)

Nine Executive Directors (EDS) of the African Development Bank are scheduled to arrive in Mbabane, Swaziland on Sunday to begin a study tour of three regional member countries of the Bank Group.

During the 4-13 March tour of Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the EDs will inspect Bank- funded projects in the countries and hold discussions with top government officials, the civil society, NGOs beneficiaries of the projects and programmes.

Mr Phiwayinkosi Ginindza who represents Lesotho, Malawi Mauritius, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia in the Bank is leading the tour to Swaziland and Zambia from 4-10 March. The Zimbabwe tour scheduled for March 10-13 will be led by Mr. B. R. Rick Kukuri who represents the country and four others - Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia in the Bank. Other Executive Directors on the tour are Jean-Claude Andze-Olinga who represents Burundi, Cameroon, CAR, Congo, and DRC, while Mr. Gerald Zirimwabagabo represents Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Uganda and Tanzania. Mr. Foday Mansaray represents Ghana, The Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan.

Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Japan and Saudi Arabia are represented by Mr. Yasuki Yoneyama; his colleague, Mrs Aud Mart Wiig is for Denmark, Finland, India, Sweden and Switzerland, while Mr. Francesco Pittore Represents Belguim, France, Italy and Norway in the Bank. These are the three out of six non-regional Executive Directors who are on the tour.

Also on the team is the Dean of the Executive Directors, Mr. Sani Lawal who represents Nigeria as well as Sao Tome and Principe.

Another team of nine Executive Directors had toured Seychelles, Comoros and Mauritius and the Seychelles in February.

The Board, which is second in the Bank's hierarchy, comprises 18 members elected by the Board of Governors for a period of three years renewable once. Regional member countries have 12 Directors while the non-regional countries are represented by six members. The Boards of the Bank Group (African Development Bank and African Development Fund - ADB and ADF) exercise all the powers of the Bank except those expressly reserved for the Board of Governors. The Boards are responsible for the conduct of the general operations of the Bank.

Membership of the Bank Group comprises 53 African (regional) States and 24 non-African (non-regional) States. The latter started to join the Bank from May 1982, following a decision to open up the capital of the institution to non-African participation. To become an ADB member, non-regional states first have to be ADF members. Only one ADF member state - the United Arab Emirates - is yet to accede to ADB membership.

The AfDB was established in 1964 to promote sustainable economic and social development and reduce poverty in its regional member countries.

The Group, with an authorized capital of UA 21.87 billion, as at 31st December 2005, made cumulative approvals of 2,988 loans and grants totaling UA 36.69 billion from 1967 to 2005.

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