The CGD Podcast – African Development Bank Presidential Candidates with Scott Morris

Host: Rajesh Merchandani (A)
Guest: Scott Morris, Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development (B)
Date: February 24, 2015

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the upcoming presidential election for the African Development Bank (AfDB), exploring the significance of the president’s role, the diversity of the candidate pool, the bank’s selection process, and the challenges and priorities facing the AfDB. Scott Morris from the Center for Global Development discusses what’s at stake for African development and the importance of the institution’s leadership at a critical moment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Importance of the AfDB and Its Presidency

• The AfDB is described as "a big deal for the region," having financed almost 3,000 programs totaling $50 billion since 1964 and holding a AAA rating.
  • [00:45] Scott Morris: “The bank is a big deal. It’s a big deal for the region. And in fact, it matters a lot because of the legacy of strong presidential leadership… the outgoing president and his predecessor have done a lot to establish the bank as a highly visible and impactful institution in the region.”

Candidate Shortlist & Its Diversity

• A shortlist of eight candidates, representing a wide regional spread across Africa and including both regional and small island nations, is presented. (List at [01:21])
• The candidate pool underscores how valued the institution is among African governments.
  • [02:29] Scott Morris: “It’s remarkable for its regional diversity. I mean, it really covers all the major regions, sub regions of the continent, North Africa, west, east, including small island countries. I mean, it really is impressive.”

Gender Representation

• The list is critiqued for lacking gender balance—just one woman among eight candidates, reflecting a broader issue across multilateral institutions.
  • [03:16] Scott Morris: “Clearly there it does not meet a diversity test. We have one female candidate among the eight. The bank finds itself in the same situation as many of these multilateral institutions. There is a lack of gender balance, and it’s a problem in the multilateral landscape.”

Transparency and Politics in the Selection Process

• The process for the AfDB presidency is transparent compared to other multilateral institutions, with confirmed lists, timelines, and standards. The election remains highly political, involving campaigning and lobbying among government shareholders.
  • [04:14] Scott Morris: “It certainly is a transparent process. The bank has both given us a list of candidates… All of these things that are actually we shouldn’t take for granted because we don’t see them consistently in all of the bank’s peer institutions… it’s a political process… There is politics going on here.”

How Voting Works at the AfDB

• The president must secure a “double majority”—a majority among all shareholders and a majority among regional shareholders. Voting is weighted by shareholding.
• Nigeria is the largest regional shareholder (~10%), and the US is the largest non-regional (~6%).
• Regional countries control about 60% of the total shareholding.
  • [05:13] Scott Morris: “The winning candidate will get a double majority… So they must obtain a majority of votes among all of the bank shareholders, and then… from the regional shareholders.”
  • [06:23] Scott Morris: “The regional countries comprise about 60% of the bank’s shareholding and the non regionals then are 40%. So there again by design, this is an institution whose leader will be picked by the region really for all practical purposes.”

Presidential Role and Influence

• The AfDB president’s leadership is pivotal, both for strategy and daily management—more influential than shareholders, who mainly have veto power.
• The president increasingly acts as a prominent global voice on African development issues.
  • [07:14] Scott Morris: “This is, I would call it a strong presidency model… The president matters a lot, both for broad strategy but also day to day management.”
  • [08:04] Scott Morris: “President Kabiruka has certainly played that role in a way that I think has pulled up the reputation of the institution… a new president should prioritize… making sure that the bank is viewed as a critical voice on Africa issues, on development issues more generally on the global stage.”

Legacy of President Donald Kaberuka

• Restored the bank’s credibility and AAA rating, mapped a clear agenda (notably prioritizing infrastructure), was willing to state what AfDB would not do, stayed attuned to country needs, and was effective as a statesman supporting tough policy choices.
  • [10:00] Scott Morris: “He had a clear sense of the bank’s role in prioritizing what the bank would do. And here I think he distinguished himself… His willingness to say what the bank would not do… So he really shaped an agenda that had the bank focused in particular on infrastructure… matching the bank’s agenda to the agenda of the country partners.”
  • [11:10] Scott Morris: “President Kaberuka has been particularly effective at being viewed as a strong partner to the officials of the region and helping them make difficult decisions, politically difficult decisions that affect development in their countries.”

Challenges and Priorities for the Next President

• The new president cannot rest on past successes due to the region’s rapid change and persistent challenges (fragile/conflict-affected states, resource management, leveraging private and public capital).
• The AfDB needs to continually adapt and provide expertise, not just funding.
  • [12:23] Scott Morris: “The institution, just to keep up with that dynamism, has to adapt just mercilessly and continuously… The number of fragile and conflict affected states and the bank’s mandate there… It will continue to happen country by country, but it has to be a priority for the next president.”
  • [13:47] Scott Morris: “Or… the bad case is that it’s a lot of money that is wasted. And then more generally, I think private capital flows in general… How does the bank become a better partner with private sources of capital… leveraging that capital for development purposes?”

The Role of the United States

• The US, as the largest non-regional shareholder, should act as a supportive partner, respecting the region’s leadership.
  • [14:50] Scott Morris: “The US will be most successful with a future president when it recognizes both a leadership role as a non regional member… but also… a lesser role for a regional institution… the US is respectful of that and taking its cues from the regional members themselves.”
  • [15:44] Scott Morris: “I think the US should not try to call the shots… The US is a source of considerable influence, but not a dominant one.”

Outlook for the AfDB

• There is optimism about the future and the candidate pool. The bank is “in very good standing,” financially strong and staffed by considerable expertise, thanks to President Kaberuka’s legacy.
  • [16:18] Scott Morris: “I am hopeful and I’m reasonably confident. I think President Kaberuka has left the institution in very good standing… It is an institution with a great deal of expertise residing within it. And I think we have a list of very credible candidates.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It’s remarkable for its regional diversity… It speaks to how much the institution is valued.” — Scott Morris [02:29]
• “There is a lack of gender balance, and it’s a problem in the multilateral landscape.” — Scott Morris [03:16]
• “We shouldn’t shy away from the fact that it’s a political process… It’s about getting the votes…” — Scott Morris [04:14]
• “This is, I would call it a strong presidency model. The African Development Bank, like the World Bank and the other regionals, is shaped by the individuals who hold this job.” — Scott Morris [07:14]
• “The president would have to focus… on infrastructure… matching the bank’s agenda to the agenda of the country partners.” — Scott Morris [10:00]
• “It is a financially strong institution. It is an institution with a great deal of expertise residing within it… we have a list of very credible candidates.” — Scott Morris [16:18]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:45] – The significance of AfDB and presidential leadership
• [01:21] – Candidate shortlist announcement
• [02:29] – Analysis of regional and gender diversity in the candidate pool
• [04:14] – The transparency and politics of the selection process
• [05:13] – How AfDB voting and shareholding works
• [07:14] – The strategic importance of presidential leadership at AfDB
• [10:00] – President Kaberuka’s legacy and strategic priorities
• [12:23] – Key issues and priorities for the next president
• [14:50] – The U.S. role in supporting AfDB’s future leadership
• [16:18] – Future outlook and confidence in the shortlist

Conclusion

Scott Morris emphasizes the pivotal, political, and increasingly global leadership role of the AfDB president. The current moment is marked by a diverse and credible candidate pool and significant opportunities and challenges—including conflict, resource wealth management, and the need to leverage capital for sustainable African development. The episode closes on an optimistic note for both the upcoming election and the bank’s continued impact on the continent.