An Election which Could have Significant Ramifications for the Direction of the AfDB

Early next year the board of governors at the African Development Bank (AfDB) will elect the bank’s next president, as the incumbent Akinwumi Adesina comes to the end of his second term in office. While Adesina’s would-be successors will not be able to submit their applications until September, and the vote will take place early in 2025, several candidates are already on manoeuvres in an election which could have significant ramifications for the direction of travel at the AfDB. Abbas Mahamat Tolli from Chad, former governor of the Bank of Central African States, announced his candidacy in March. The dual French-Algerian citizen Rabah Arezki, a former chief economist of the AfDB who has been critical of Adesina’s policies, is widely believed to be throwing his hat into the ring. Senegal’s Hassatou Diop N’Sele, the bank’s current vice-president of finance, is also seen as another potential successor to Adesina.

AFRICAN BUSINESS