By Adelabu JumokeDr Akinwumi Adesina, outgoing President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) says hundreds of million lives were directly impacted during his 10-year stewardship of the regional development bank.Adesina disclosed this on Monday during a Media Welcome Breakfast that marked the beginning of the 2025 Annual Meetings of the Bank in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.Specifically, he said the AfDB directly impacted the lives of over 565 million people through its “High 5s” strategy over the past decade.
Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, AfDB Outgoing President Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, AfDB Outgoing President
According to him, the High 5s, introduced in 2015, focussed on five key development priorities: Light Up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.

He said, with the strategy’s implementation, 128 million people gained access to better healthcare, 121 million benefited from improved transportation, and 104 million were food secured.

“Additionally, 63 million people have access to potable water, 34 million to improved sanitation, and 28 million to electricity. “These are not just numbers, they are futures. They are hopes realised. Development should be judged not just by statistics but by human impact.

“Today, as we approach the shore of my 10 years as President of the African Development Bank Group, the sails on our ship remained high and strong,” he said.Adesina said the Bank’s work, extended to places like Lesotho, Kenya, Egypt and Senegal, where its interventions had transformed access to water, energy and sanitation, and bridged regional divides.

He reaffirmed the High 5s as the bedrock of transformation that had evolved from strategic priorities into a development movement embraced by African leaders and communities. Adesina will formally conclude his tenure at the end of the ongoing annual meetings, where a new President will be elected.