A delegation of seven executive directors from the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group arrived in Banjul on a five-day consultation mission, marking the first-ever visit by a group of top officials of the Bank to The Gambia.
A statement on the visit said this milestone underscores a deepening partnership as the nation continues its pursuit of sustainable development and economic reform.
The delegation comprises Dr. Nomfundo X. Ngwenya – a South African who is the spokesperson; Rufus N. Darkortey – a Liberian who is representing The Gambia at the Bank as the host executive director, Takaaki Nomoto (Japanese). Joao Luis Ngimbi (Angolan), Ms. Mette Knudsen (Dane),Ms. Chantal M. Nonault (Congolese) and Mr. Edmund Wega ( Canadian) who is the rapporteur.
This historic visit is widely credited to the decisive and visionary leadership of President Adama Barrow whose proactive leadership in fostering multilateral cooperation paved the way for Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, president of Bank;s groundbreaking visit to the country in October 2023 and now this historic mission of these executive directors.
The statement said Finance Minister Seedy. Keita, has been instrumental in advancing these engagements in alignment with President Barrow’s vision. Minister Keita, who represents The Gambia at the Bank as Governor says the visit of the executive directors reflect our country’s strong commitment to collaborating with the Bank to promote regional economic growth, infrastructure development, and economic cooperation across Africa.
The Gambia currently serves as a member of the Steering Committee responsible for electing the new president of the Bank under the leadership of Minister Keita as the rapporteur of the Committee.
Recently, Minister Keita also moderated and chaired a meeting of African countries to reform the governance framework of the African Development Fund financing window to increase the voice and contributions of African countries in the leadership of the Fund.
In 2023, Minister Keita championed an historic initiative under the leadership of President Barrow that resulted to all five Constituency Member Countries at the Bank, including The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Sudan, to support the ADF-17 Replenishment efforts with at least $1 million each as a way of enhancing the development impact of the Fund on the African continent.
This current mission which forms part of the AfDB’s annual work programme, will see the executive directors meeting with a broad spectrum of national stakeholders. Key engagements include a courtesy discussion with President Barrow, various government agencies, the banking sector, development partners, integrity institutions, and representatives from the private sector, youth, women, and civil society. Accompanying the delegation is the Bank’s Country Manager for The Gambia, Dr. Joseph Ribeiro, who also serves as the Deputy Director General for the West Africa region. The Gambia and Bank’s relations dated back to 1974, and is today reflected in its robust portfolio which as of January 2025, comprises 17 projects totaling USD 227.47 million, 45% of which supports transport, including the transformative Senegambia bridge, followed by agriculture (20%), energy (18%), water and sanitation (8%), governance (6%), and social projects (3%).
