Following more than a decade of healthy growth based on good economic policy and improved governance, African economies are now growing much more slowly. Potential investment returns remain high, however, and investment, especially in infrastructure, is critical to restoring growth and ensuring its sustainability in the region with the poorest and most fragile states in the world. How can the African Development Bank (AfDB) help unlock more funds for investment on the continent - in infrastructure, where the bank has a good record, and in education, where its leadership could help trigger critical reforms? And what is the role of the AfDB relative to the other multilateral development banks (MDBs)?

At this special event ahead of the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, AfDB president Dr Akinwumi Adesina will give keynote remarks and then join an eminent panel to consider the AfDB's future opportunities and challenges. How might it best fit into a more cohesive MDB 'system', as outlined in CGD's major 2016 report Multilateral Development Banking for this Century's Development Challenges. Should the AfDB have more resources? And what could and should become the AfDB's areas of focus and comparative advantage?