African Development Bank presidential hopefuls outline competing visions

Five candidates vying to lead the African Development Bank made their pitches at a public forum Tuesday, offering competing visions for the institution’s future just weeks before a closed-door election to decide its next president.

Hosted by the Brookings Institution on the sidelines of the World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., the event marked the first public discussion between all five contenders: Amadou Hott of Senegal, Samuel Munzele Maimbo of Zambia, Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania, Abbas Mahamat Tolli of Chad, and Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala of South Africa.

They are all seeking to replace Akinwumi Adesina, who has served as AfDB president since 2015 and will step down as his second five-year term ends. The bank’s board of governors — composed of finance ministers and other representatives from AfDB member countries — will vote on May 29, and the new president is set to start on Sept. 1.