Podcast Summary: The CGD Podcast
Episode: "Why Adesina Won the AfDB Presidency and What He Should Do First"
Date: June 2, 2015
Host: Rajesh Merchandani (Center for Global Development)
Guest: Bobby Pittman (Kupanda Capital, former advisor to President Bush on Africa, CGD board member)
Episode Overview
The episode centers on the recent election of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). Host Rajesh Merchandani and guest Bobby Pittman discuss the unique aspects of the election, the strengths Adesina brings to his new role, his stated priorities, and what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for the Bank and Africa’s development agenda.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. A Highly Transparent Election Process
- Unique Openness: The AfDB presidency election was striking for its real-time transparency, with vote rounds publicly tweeted before rumors spread among delegates.
- Quote: “The African Development Bank Twitter staff was tweeting out the results of each election before even some of the rumors hit the exterior room. So I found that to be quite impressive.” — Bobby Pittman [00:56]
- Significance: This level of transparency highlighted AfDB as a forward-looking institution and set a new standard for other multilateral development banks.
- Quote: “I think it’s... quite exceptional and I imagine that it’s going to put a lot of pressure on other institutions to do the same thing in the future.” — Bobby Pittman [02:19]
2. Why Adesina Won the Presidency
- Bilingual Leadership: Adesina's ability to operate fluently in both French and English was essential for pan-African leadership.
- Quote: “The ability to easily and effectively work across both [French and English] languages was very important for whomever was going to take the helm of the bank.” — Bobby Pittman [02:37]
- Proven Execution: His credible track record in implementation and execution across diverse African contexts made him a standout candidate.
- Quote: “[He] brought a track record of implementation and execution across some very difficult mandates.” — Bobby Pittman [03:17]
3. Adesina’s Vision for AfDB
- Vision Statement Highlight: Adesina outlined key priorities: smart infrastructure, private sector growth, jobs for youth and women, revitalizing rural areas, and regional integration.
- Quote:
“First is it’s very critical to have smart infrastructure, to have increased productivity and competitiveness for Africa.
...The private sector is the engine of growth. Private sector for wealth creation... but in an inclusive manner. But also jobs for Africa’s youth, jobs for Africa’s women... reviving Africa’s rural areas... and finally to have regional integration for shared prosperity.”
— Dr. Akinwumi Adesina [04:08]
- Quote:
4. Continuity and the Path Ahead
- Building on a Strong Foundation: The bank’s current focus on infrastructure and the private sector, initiated by previous president Donald Kaberuka, remains relevant. Adesina’s challenge is evolving rather than overhauling this agenda.
- Quote: “Maintaining the path is actually one of the more difficult strategies... I think that focus is one of the most difficult things to maintain.” — Bobby Pittman [06:24]
- Challenge: Moving from “low hanging fruit” to more complex, catalytic interventions in the private sector.
- Quote: “To be catalytic, to be impactful... there’s less low hanging fruit than there was 10 years ago.” — Bobby Pittman [07:27]
5. Adesina’s Background in Agriculture
- Relevance: Although AfDB has shifted from direct agriculture to infrastructure, Adesina’s innovative approach in Nigeria’s agricultural sector and his focus on bottom-of-the-pyramid solutions are expected to translate well to his broader leadership.
- Quote: “People were very focused on not necessarily the minister’s expertise in the sector, but really what the minister brought to that sector in Nigeria—renewed thinking, creative thinking, a use of innovative technology... and how to incorporate people at the bottom of the pyramid.” — Bobby Pittman [10:38]
6. The Evolving Role of the Private Sector
- Shift from Aid to Investment: The imperative to leverage limited development finances by catalyzing private investment, especially as aid grows more slowly and many donors are reluctant to increase commitments.
- Quote: “Governments and policy leaders... really have to engage on this discussion on the private sector. We really have to make sure the limited aid dollars... need to be used effectively to catalyze what is a larger impact that can come from the private sector.” — Bobby Pittman [12:23]
- Emphasis on Speed and Accountability: Observing lessons from rapid development (e.g., China), African stakeholders now demand results at scale and pace.
- Quote: “One of the things that a lot of us have learned from the China model is how important speed of execution is.” — Bobby Pittman [12:57]
7. Civil Society’s Expanding Influence
- Accountability for All Sectors: Private sector, governments, and development partners must all deliver tangible, rapid benefits and are subject to greater scrutiny from civil society.
- Quote: “They want to hold all players accountable, they want to hold their government accountable, they want to hold development partners accountable and they want to hold the private sector accountable.” — Bobby Pittman [14:03]
8. Advice for AfDB President-Elect Adesina
- Continue Focus, Broaden Dialogue: Stay true to focused priorities (infrastructure, private sector, jobs), but involve more grassroots voices and divergent perspectives in shaping the Bank’s work.
- Quote: “We clearly need to bring more people into the conversation... a lot of people across Africa who don’t feel like their voice is heard and don’t feel like they’re part of the conversation.” — Bobby Pittman [16:13]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Election Transparency:
“It made some of us less relevant in the Twittersphere as we wanted to try to scoop the news. So it was very exciting.”
— Bobby Pittman [01:16] -
On Historical Shifts at AfDB:
“The African Development bank was probably the largest player in agriculture in the 90s. And... moved out of that space... to focus on infrastructure.”
— Bobby Pittman [09:44] -
On Priorities for the Next Bank President:
“Spend time reflecting and talking to a lot of people out there... bringing in other voices... spend time with other people who have different views than I do...”
— Bobby Pittman [15:36-16:51]
Key Segment Timestamps
- Election Transparency & Process: [00:43–02:28]
- Why Adesina Won: [02:28–03:38]
- Adesina’s Vision Statement: [04:08–04:36]
- Discussion on Vision's Evolution: [05:04–07:18]
- Challenges Ahead for Private Sector Role: [07:18–09:30]
- Adesina’s Agriculture Experience: [09:30–11:16]
- Private Sector in Development & Civil Society: [11:26–14:41]
- Advice to Adesina: [15:17–16:51]
Conclusion
The episode provides a nuanced analysis of the AfDB’s presidential election, the evolving context of African development finance, and the leadership qualities required for the Bank’s future. Listeners gain insight into the significance of transparency, the necessity of inclusive and pragmatic leadership, and the importance of focus and accountability as Africa’s development landscape continues to change.