On Africa Day, we hear from the African Development Bank's senior management on the institution's priorities and how we are making a difference in the lives of millions of Africans.
Bajabulile "Swazi" Tshabalala, Senior Vice President:
"The celebration of 57 years of African unity and progress on this Africa Day 2020 comes during one of the greatest challenges the continent has had to face to date, with the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. In the face of these difficulties, we take pride in the collective response of all the key stakeholders who have come together to leverage the skills and knowledge we have gathered and generated on this continent with past health crises, while also building on the financial solutions the African Development Bank Group has provided, alongside other development partners and well-wishers, to enable our regional member countries to mitigate the effects of this crisis.
"Through our collective and shared desire for the continent to succeed and prosper, we will overcome these challenges to ensure that in the coming decades we will build greater resilience and a stable economic platform that will create opportunities for our youth and future generations to drive the African growth story to new heights."
Jennifer Blanke, Vice President Agriculture, Human and Social Development
"This Africa Day, the continent is facing a health and economic crisis that, if left unchecked, could spill over into a food crisis. And yet this is an opportunity for Africa to build back better. Our Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation initiative is helping countless farmers massively increase crop output, bringing Africa closer to the Green Revolution that will make food crises less likely in the future. We are also supporting women and young people to be part of the solution, turning challenges into business opportunities across multiple sectors, and making African economies much more resilient and fit for purpose."
Khaled Sherif, Vice-President, Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery
"The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the long-term importance of trade and investment in Africa based on open borders. The immediate response mechanisms have had a direct negative impact on cross-border trade and investment and the movement of people.
"While understandable for the time being, given the circumstances, in the long run, it is the opposite of what we will need to build the common economic market we are striving for. So our efforts to broaden and deepen regional integration on the continent will intensify, including tangible benefits emanating from regional value chains. This will require greater industrialization for higher value-added products and greater economic multipliers. This will also be closely linked to digitization and modernization of infrastructure and ICT for greater access to clean energy, better and faster transport, and improved warehousing and logistics."
Kevin Kanina Kariuki, Vice-President, Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth
"Throughout history, Africa has demonstrated remarkable fortitude in the face of development challenges, vulnerabilities to climate change, conflicts, and pandemics such as Ebola and COVID19. At the African Development Bank, we view these difficulties as opportunities for growth and progress, with sustainable, affordable energy at the core of our efforts to harness the continent's full economic and human potential. As the continent gears up for a post-COVID 19 recovery, our ongoing investments in energy under the Light up and Power Africa priority which have benefitted 13.4 million people since 2016, will continue to enhance Africa's resilience, and set the continent on greener development pathways.
Solomon Quaynor, Vice-President, Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization
"As we celebrate Africa Day, the African Development Bank will continue to champion investment in cross-border infrastructure, such as airports, roads, and bridges, in close collaboration with the African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and NEPAD. Since 2015, the Bank has invested over $17 billion in infrastructure development on the continent, spanning road, rail, air, and ports, as well as water supply, energy and ICT infrastructure. We have also been instrumental in structuring innovative financing solutions and currently hold a portfolio of infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) valued at $1.5 billion. Our work and impact are being felt in the living conditions of the African population we serve."
Charles Leyeka Lufumpa, Acting Chief Economist and Vice President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management
"For the past two decades, Africa has boasted some of the highest growth rates in the world, positioning the region as one of the next investment frontiers in the decade to come. In 2020, the continent will likely enter into recession - the first time in over 50 years - due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we expect Africa to exhibit greater economic resilience in the face of the pandemic, more so thanks to its youthful and innovative people, rising middle income population, increasing beneficiation and value addition of its abundant natural resources, and improving governance systems across the continent."
Moono Mupotola, Director, Regional Development & Regional Integration
"Integrating Africa without silencing guns is challenging. Connecting Africa's markets, promoting intra-trade, facilitating the free movement of people requires strong collaboration among member states. This is possible if deliberate efforts are made to maintain peace and security and the continent's capacity to address and prevent epidemics such as COVID-19 are enhanced."
Ebrima Faal - Senior Director, Nigeria Country Department
"The African Development Bank is concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on the health of people living and working in North East Nigeria and in nearby communities. The Bank is helping to address the needs of an estimated 14 million affected people in North East Nigeria, including over 2.3 million Internally Displaced Persons, nearly 80 % of whom are women, children, and youth and with special attention to rural households affected by the insurgency. We must silence the guns to reap Nigeria's potentially huge demographic dividend in Northern Nigeria."
Nnenna Nwabufo, Acting Director General, East Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office
"Mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis requires a bold and coordinated approach that will harness new strategic initiatives and leverage ongoing partnerships such as the Horn of Africa (HoA) initiative, The African Free Trade Continental Area, and the African Union's Agenda 2063. Under its COVID-19 Response Facility, the African Development Bank is assisting East African countries to respond to urgent national health, social protection, private-sector and macroeconomic needs. Bank assistance will complement the HoA initiative, which seeks to prevent conflict by addressing root causes of fragility in the region. Furthermore, the Bank continues to work to establish an enabling environment for peace and development in East Africa through the financing of regional infrastructure, and strengthening the policy, legislative and institutional frameworks for regional integration."
