The president of the African Development Bank Group, Sidi Ould Tah, paid a courtesy visit on Wednesday to the President of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara.
Ould Tah expressed his gratitude to the Ivorian leader for the support he received during his election in May becoming the ninth president of the pan-African multilateral institution.
After the meeting, Ould Tah accompanied by Côte d'Ivoire's Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Nialé Kaba spoke to the national and international press.
"It was an honour for me to pay a courtesy visit to His Excellency President Alassane Ouattara to thank him for his support during the election for the Bank's leadership and for the warm welcome I received upon my arrival in Côte d'Ivoire to take up my duties as president of the African Development Bank," Ould Tah said.
According to Ould Tah, President Ouattara reaffirmed Côte d'Ivoire's unwavering support for the Bank's mission including the construction of its new headquarters in Abidjan.
"I briefed him on the Bank's portfolio in Côte d'Ivoire, which is excellent, and we also discussed issues of mutual interest," he said.
The African Development Bank Group's portfolio in Côte d'Ivoire has significantly grown in recent years, with financing increasing from $460 million in 2015 to $3.1 billion in 2023, covering sectors such as transport, energy, agriculture, health and social services. The Bank Group has provided financing to Côte d'Ivoire for agricultural infrastructure and cross-border connectivity projects, strengthening regional integration in West Africa.
In response to a journalist's question on the utilisation of pension funds to co-finance development, the Bank's president reiterated that, in a global context compounded by constrained capital, it was necessary to "mobilise all the financial resources within the continent to address the challenges."
The courtesy visit serves to consolidate the cordial partnership between the Bank and Côte d'Ivoire, which is a founding member country and host nation of the institution. The Bank has been operating in Côte d'Ivoire since 1965.
During his inauguration earlier this month, Ould Tah paid tribute to President Ouattara and expressed his "deep gratitude for his crucial role and valuable support, during his election as head of Africa's leading development finance institution."
