Tanzania Salutes Adesina’s $4.7B Legacy as AfDB Chief Steps Down
Tanzania has celebrated outgoing African Development Bank (AfDB) President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina for his deep contributions to the country’s economic development. President Samia Suluhu Hassan officially recognized his legacy by naming a major highway after him in Dodoma, as she praised his decade of leadership.
During a two-day visit to Tanzania, Adesina toured key infrastructure projects financed under his term. These included the Dodoma Outer Ring Road, the Standard Gauge Railway line, a new international airport, and energy and agriculture developments. The government confirmed the road will now bear his name: Dr. Akinwumi Adesina Road.
“I express our gratitude to the African Development Bank for being a dependable partner in our country’s development journey,” said President Suluhu during the ceremony. “Your visionary leadership has brought significant socio-economic change to Tanzania and across Africa.”
The Bank, under Adesina’s leadership, has provided $4.73 billion in financing to Tanzania over the past decade accounting for more than half of AfDB’s total investment in the country since 1971. According to government data, total investment during Adesina’s term marks a significant shift in the scale and ambition of development financing in the region.
The Dodoma road project alone received $138 million from AfDB, $42 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund, and $34.69 million from the Tanzanian government. Officials say the 110-kilometer road strengthens trade and movement across the capital region.
President Suluhu also highlighted the Standard Gauge Railway as a flagship cross-border initiative. Once completed, it will link Tanzania with Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, enhancing trade across East and Central Africa.
Adesina, who was accompanied by his wife, Grace Yemisi Adesina, acknowledged the honor and thanked Tanzania for its partnership with the Bank. The visit marked the final stages of his tenure as AfDB president.
Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been named as Adesina’s successor and will officially take office on September 1, 2025.
Since taking office in 2015, Adesina has positioned AfDB as a key driver of African infrastructure, food security, energy expansion, and industrialization. His presidency focused heavily on increasing capital mobilization and project delivery in member states.
Tanzania’s recognition reflects the broader impact of his leadership across the continent. The AfDB under Adesina directed significant resources to regional connectivity, modern transport corridors, and renewable energy access factors that analysts credit with accelerating Africa’s economic resilience in the past decade.
The ceremony in Dodoma served not only as a farewell but as a tribute to a partnership that helped shape Tanzania’s development roadmap.
