Adesina Emerges African Development Bank’s President
The 55-year-old Adesina, who until yesterday (Thursday) served the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan as a minister, defeated seven other contestants from across the continent by scoring 58 per cent of the votes cast in an election held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, where the AfDB is based.
He contested against Chadian Finance Minister, Kordje Bedoumra, who secured 32 per cent of the votes, and his counterpart from Cape Verde, Cristina Duarte, who got 10 per cent.
The AfDB said on its Twitter feed that Adesina would take over from Donald Kaberuka of Rwanda on September 1 as the 50-year-old body’s eighth leader.
“It went very well. We are really elated and grateful we have delivered this for Nigeria. We had a great candidate and a lot of support,” the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, told Reuters after the result was announced.
