The only candidate for re-election, Nigerian Akinwumi Adesina was reappointed to his post on August 27 at the annual meetings of the pan-African bank.

This is his victory. Released cleared of the accusations of bad governance brought against him, The Nigerian Akinwumi Adesina, 60, was re-elected president of the  African Development Bank (AfDB), at the end of its annual general meeting held over two days in Abidjan. The plebiscite is without appeal, it sounds like revenge. "The result of the election ... allowed him to obtain 100% of the votes of all regional and non-regional members of the Bank. As the newly re-elected President, Dr. Adesina, former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture, will begin his new term (of 5 years) on September 1, 2020," reveals the text of the communiqué issued by the AfDB on Thursday, August 27 afternoon. "These annual meetings are an opportunity for me to offer you my services again and to run for a second term as President of the AfDB ," said Akinwumi Adesina, elected in 2015.

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A re-election without surprise

At the end of July, this son of a poor peasant turned superanquier of Africa had been exonerated of accusations of mismanagement by a committee of experts, at the end of a media-financial soap opera that lasted three months and destabilized the institution. Accusations that tarnished the image of this world-renowned development economist who had brilliantly ensured a giant capital increase of $ 115 billion in October 2019. "I am delighted that the Board of Governors has re-elected Mr. Adesina for a second term as President of the Bank Group. As shareholders, we strongly support the Bank and will provide Mr. Adesina with all necessary support to pursue and implement his compelling vision for the Bank over the next five years," said Niale Kaba, Chair of the Bank's Board of Governors and also Minister of Planning and Development of  Ivory.

The Adesina success story

The flamboyant Nigerian, who subtly juggles between the English-speaking and French-speaking worlds, will begin his new mandate on September 1 with important challenges ahead of him for the next five years. From his first steps in Abidjan, the Ivorian capital that houses the headquarters of the AfDB, one of the five main multilateral development banks in the world, created in 1964, the man had imagined taking up the torch of the Rwandan Donald Kaberuka by focusing his program on five pillars known as "High 5", namely: feed, electrify, industrialize, integrate the continent and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. "I am deeply grateful for the collective trust placed in me, the strong trust and support of our shareholders who elected me for a second term as President of the Bank. This is a new call for a selfless service for the Afrique and the Afadian Development Bank, to which I will dedicate myself with passion," he reacted in a statement sent to the press.

Charismatic, reputed to be a good talker, this excellent communicator has given international visibility to the pan-African development institution, attracting capital and multiplying announcements of project financing on the continent. Until the accusations, everything was perfect. The success story begins on February 6, 1960 in a farming family in Ogun State (southwestern Nigeria). Graduated with a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from the University of Ife (south-west Nigeria), then a doctorate from the prestigious Purdue University in United States in 1988, he holds positions as an economist in international agricultural institutions, collaborated with the Rockefeller Foundation, then became one of the leaders of the Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa (Agra).

In 2011, it is the political consecration in his country: he is appointed Minister of Agriculture. His action to develop the agricultural sector will be widely praised, until he earned him an international media reputation: he was elected "African Personality of the Year" by Forbes magazine in 2013.

In 2015, after intense lobbying, he took over the presidency of the AfDB, one of the five major multilateral development banks, succeeding Rwandan Donald Kaberuka.

In a detailed report, whistleblowers then reproached him for his favoritism in appointments of senior officials, especially fellow Nigerians. He is also accused of appointing or promoting persons suspected or convicted of corruption, or of granting them comfortable severance pay without punishing them.

Adesina then used his usual lyricism to defend his "honor" and "integrity", summoning the memory of his "heroes" Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and Martin Luther King.

"Akinwumi Adesina's personality is unprecedented," says an Ivorian economist. "He is exuberant, probably too visible for the hushed world of banking, to the point of giving an impression of arrogance, to allow everything."

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A boulevard for the next five years

Of course, during these two days of virtual annual meetings due to the coronavirus pandemic, the man recognizable by his eternal bow tie suit has largely returned to his balance sheet, figures to support, even if they are unverifiable. Thus, according to him, under his leadership: 18 million people had access to electricity, 141 million people benefited from improved agricultural technologies for food security, 15 million people had access to financing from private investment, 101 million people benefited from improved transport and 60 million people had access to water and sanitation.

More specifically, it should be noted that the Bank has maintained its AAA rating assigned by all major global rating agencies for five consecutive years. A triple A far from being a given. Until a few years ago, Fitch threatened to downgrade its rating if the AfDB did nothing to stop the haemorrhage of debt. Adesina, it must be said, knows how to find arguments with his interlocutors. As a result, at the end of 2019, the AfDB 's Board of Governors approved a 125% increase in the institution's general capital, from $93 billion to $208 billion, the largest increase. "The future invites us to work for a more developed Africa and for a much stronger and more resilient African Development Bank. We will build on the solid foundation of success over the past five years, while further strengthening the institution for greater efficiency and impact," said Mr. Adesina.

Very optimistic, Akinwumi Adesina seems to have turned the page on these last months of tensions. Although they did not prevent his re-election, the accusations and the soap opera left their mark on AfDB staff . Internally, Mr. Adesina's personnel management has caused unprecedented turmoil in five years, leading to the departure of many executives. On condition of anonymity, employees accuse him of leading by "terror", which has led to a hemorrhage of executives since his arrival. "He has made many enemies by trying to reform the bank, he has greatly favored Anglophones over Francophones," nuances the Ivorian economist quoted by AFP. Executives also accuse him of communicating more than acting, and of embellishing his balance sheet. Others now fear that with his re-election that "gives him free rein again", he will embark on a "witch hunt".