Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta
THE AFRICAN Development Bank Group (AfDB) is set to host its 57th Annual General Meetings in Accra this month.
The meetings, which will come off from May 23 to 27, 2022, is the first in-person meetings in two years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Africa.
Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, who made the announcement during a press conference in Accra Thursday, said “the meetings provide Ghana and Africa at large with a platform where we can deliberate and advance African solutions to African problems, particularly as the continent seeks to recover from the twin crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the geopolitical tension between Russia and Ukraine.
“This is the first time Ghana will be hosting this event (in-person) in our history after we signed on as a founding member state on 14th August 1963, in Khartoum, Sudan and attended the Bank’s inaugural Board Meeting in November 1964 in Lagos, Nigeria. Indeed, we had a Ghanaian, Dr. Kwame Donkoh Fordjour Kantinka, as the President of this Bank between May, 1976 and July, 1979.
“These facts, together with our championing role in setting up what has become Africa’s premier Bank, suggest that hosting this event now seems long overdue. As is often said, however, it is better late than never, especially now that the continent is charting a new path towards building forward better. We have the opportunity to host the Annual Meetings of the two main entities that make up the AfDB (that is, the ADB and ADF).”
The Annual Meetings, under the theme: “Achieving Climate Resilience and a Just Energy Transition for Africa” provides Ghana with the opportunity to advance discussions on building resilience, addressing financing gaps, and narrowing its physical and digital infrastructural deficits in tandem with that of other African countries.
It will be attended by Ministers for Finance, Governors of Central Banks, Leaders of local and international finance and development organisations, captains of industry, and civil society organisations (CSOs) from the 81 Member States of the AfDB; made up of 54 regional and 27 non-regional member countries.
Schedule for the AfDB Annual Meetings include a forum, where President Nana Akufo-Addo will deliver the Key Note Address and Closing Ceremonies (which will be web-streamed and televised); a Presidential Dialogue on “Africa: Development Challenges and Opportunities” (to be web-streamed and televised); four statutory sitting of the Board of Governors (closed sessions); and four Knowledge events (open sessions) on the launch of the African Economic Outlook Report, 2022; building resilient digital economies for Africa; Africa Day Event (which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the passing of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah); as well as Climate Resilience and Africa’s food systems. It will also cover Green Jobs for Youth and Women in Post-COVID Africa; a seminar on Special Drawing Rights (SDRs); and a visit by the spouses of the participating Governors to the Osu Children’s Home.
Ghana has a strong partnership with the AfDB. Through this enduring partnership, the country has undertaken significant infrastructural development, including: the construction of the Pokuase Interchange, the construction of the Terminal 3 of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), construction of the Awoshie-Pokuase road, Fufulso-Sawla road and the Northern Corridor roads amongst hosts of projects in education, skill training, sanitation, and agriculture.
According to the Finance Minister, he was confident that the high-level event in Accra will help convey the country’s collective appreciation to the AfDB as a long-standing strategic partner and lead to deliberations over potential new projects that will benefit Ghanaians.