In preparation for its 2022 Annual Meetings, the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group held a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, 20th April 2022, to brief the public what to expect from the annual meetings.
The press conference featured Prof. Vincent Nmehielle, Secretary-General of the Bank Group; Dr. Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth; Pr. Kevin Urama, Acting Chief Economist and Vice President for Governance and Knowledge Management, and other Vice Presidents to share ideas on how best to achieve this year’s goal.
The Bank’s VP for Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth, Dr. Kevin Kariuki, shared how the bank is spearheading efforts to help tackle climate change. He disclosed that the African Development Bank has committed to doubling its climate finance to $25 billion between 2020 and 2025.
The Bank’s Group revealed that more than 70% of Africa’s economies are at severe risk from Russia’s war in Ukraine at the press briefing, adding that it will do its best to boost food production in Africa.
The Moderator at the Press briefing, Mr. Hopestone Chavula, said all four thematic sessions capitalizing on the event’s theme would be opened to the public, adding that there would be a session to discuss the opportunities for green jobs for African youth and women. Lastly, he disclosed that there would be a discussion to achieve climate resilience for robust Agri-food systems in Africa.
The moderator noted that the event is also commemorating the Africa Development Fund’s 50 years of operating since1972.
What to expect at the Annual Meeting
The Moderator stated that the 2022 event would provide an opportunity to take stock of the continent’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and how to ramp up vaccination against the pandemic.
The theme of the 2022 Annual Meetings is “Achieving Climate Resilience and a Just Energy Transition for Africa”. The Bank Group’s regional member countries will have an opportunity to discuss the nature of the support they need from global development partners and the cost of building resilience and a just energy transition for their economies.
Due to Covid-19 considerations, the AfDB plans to hold the meetings in a hybrid format, with the physical presence of Governors, Executive Directors, and Bank senior management and officials at the Accra International Conference Centre and others participating virtually.
The Bank Group’s most important event is the Annual Meetings attracting around 3,000 delegates and attendees yearly. The meetings allow the organization to take stock of progress with its shareholders. It also provides a unique forum for representatives of governments, businesses, civil society, think tanks, academia, and the media, to discuss critical issues concerning Africa’s ongoing development.
MoU between GoG and AfDB
At the MoU signing event, the AfDB Secretary-General said, in addition to the key statutory engagements, said, the event will feature knowledge events that will deliberate on the continent’s challenges, including cross-cutting issues. He promised the Government of Ghana of AfDB’s support to make the event a success.
“On behalf of the President of the Bank Group, I wish to assure the Government of Ghana of our commitment and availability to work with you towards a successful hosting of the meetings. We’d continue to engage with the host country team throughout the preparatory process,” Nmehielle stated.
The Bank’s Annual Meetings were held virtually in 2020 for its history due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ghana has been a member of the Bank Group since its inception in 1964.
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