PRESIDENT of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has announced that his dedication to mobilizing global capital for Africa's development will continue long after his presidency concludes on September 1, 2025.

In a keynote speech titled “Tilting Global Capital for Unlocking Investment Opportunities in Africa,” delivered at the Standard Chartered Africa Summit in Lagos at the weekend, Adesina stated, “As I step into a new future, you can be sure this will be my focus! For I will always have Africa in my heart and in my sight.”

The summit, themed "Africa to the Globe: Innovation, Resilience, and Growth,” brought together corporate leaders, policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders, including Africa’s wealthiest person, Aliko Dangote; Nigeria’s Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole; and award-winning author Chimamanda Adichie.

Adesina, often called “Africa’s Optimist in Chief,” kicked off his speech by highlighting his confidence in the continent's potential. He emphasized the AfDB’s focus on bold financial innovation over the past decade, noting, “The African Development Bank is not just waiting for more capital; we are innovating to do more with the capital we have.”

He outlined several of the bank’s pioneering and innovative financing solutions, which have been supported by its AAA credit rating:

The Africa Investment Forum, which has mobilized over $225 billion in investment interest since 2018.

Spearheading a move to re-channel the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to multilateral development banks, a move that could be leveraged by 4-8 times.

The first-ever private sector hybrid capital transaction by a multilateral development bank, valued at $750 million.

A $250 million partial credit guarantee that allowed Egypt to raise the first-ever Panda Bond by an African country on the Chinese capital market, valued at $500 million.

Adesina also praised Standard Chartered Bank for its successful partnership with the AfDB, which delivered a partial credit guarantee for Côte d'Ivoire in 2023. The deal, which unlocked €533 million for the country’s financing needs, was named "Sovereign Syndicated Loan Deal of the Year" at the 2025 Bonds, Loans & ESG Capital Markets Africa Awards in Cape Town.

He urged global financial institutions to partner more strategically with the AfDB and other multilateral development banks to increase capital flows to Africa.

The AfDB's current active portfolio in Nigeria is its largest, valued at $5.1 billion across 52 operations in both the public and private sectors. The bank is also set to establish a Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank in Nigeria as part of a pan-African initiative to create and finance opportunities for young people.

Additionally, the AfDB is rolling out Phase 1 of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones in eight states, with construction already underway in Kaduna, Cross River, Oyo, and Ogun. Phase 2, which will cover the remaining 28 states, is scheduled to begin in September 2025.