By Shegaw Yemataw
The African Development Bank (AfDB) commemorated its 60th anniversary in Addis Ababa, in the presence of senior Ethiopian officials, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of international organizations, and bank staff.
Under the theme: “60 Years of Making a Difference,” the diamond jubilee celebration showcased the AfDB’s journey since its establishment and its vision for the African continent's future.
Established in Khartoum in 1964, the AfDB was armed with a vision to promote economic development and social progress in Africa driven by Africans for Africans. The anniversary highlighted the bank's commitment to social and economic development across Africa, showcasing its significant contributions to enhancing economic growth, regional integration, and sustainable development.
In his opening remarks, Leandre Bassole, Deputy Director General for the Eastern Africa Region at the AfDB, indicated that from its inception the bank has supported over 6575 projects in Africa and hailed the banks' growth whose capital stands now at 318 billion us dollars.
The deputy director general also pointed out that the bank provided over 184 billion to support Africa's development and growth, underscoring the crucial role of the bank in road connectivity, agricultural initiatives to transform lives in Africa.
For her part, Ethiopian State Minister for Finance, Semereta Sewasew, commended the indispensible role of the bank played on the continent of which 213 projects including 39 transport projects, 20 multispectral projects, 28 transmission energy projects, 66 agricultural projects, 5 projects focused on job creation and agribusiness in Ethiopia alone since its inception.
The state minister further called attention to the Bank's investment in road construction, an endeavor which she said helped Ethiopians to reduce time and cost for transport, besides enhancing regional integration in east Africa through Ethio Kenya electric highway.
Representatives from the ministries of Agriculture, Urban & Infrastructure Development as well as the Ethiopian Roads Authority praised the AfDB for its unrelenting support for their respective sectors, emphasizing the impressive achievements made thus far and calling for continued unwavering support in the years ahead.
The AfDB marked its 60th anniversary by reflecting on six decades of making a difference and looking ambitiously toward a future where a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and integrated continent can be realized.//