Ghana’s capital city Accra was selected as the venue of next year’s Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The announcement was made at the conclusion of this year’s event which was held virtually from Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, where the AfDB is headquartered, due to restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was the first time in the AfDB’s 56-year history that the event was held virtually. Only statutory issues, such as the election of the Bank’s president and a governors’ dialogue, were dealt with.
Ghanaian Finance minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta said the country was looking forward to hosting the event as he thanked Côte d’Ivoire for handing over the baton “in such a spectacular way.”
“It is with great honour and humility that I accept, on behalf of the Republic of Ghana, to chair the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank Group and host the Annual Meetings for 2021,” Ofori-Atta said.
“Let me thank (Côte d’Ivoire Planning and Development minister Nialé Kaba) for her incredible strength, fortitude and wisdom…The results today is a clear manifestation of what a great woman she is.”
The AfDB, however, did not make any mention on whether the event will be held physically or virtually due to the dynamic nature of the pandemic.
Accra, coincidentally, also hosts the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The headquarters was recently officially commissioned by the Ghanaian government and handed over to the African Union.
