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𝐀𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐣𝐚𝐧- The Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Hon. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has departed Liberia at the head of a high-level delegation to participate in the 2025 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB), to be held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire from May 26 to 30.

Minister Ngafuan is accompanied by the Deputy Minister for Economic Management, Hon. Dehpue Zuo.

The delegation will represent Liberia in key engagements during the meetings, which bring together policymakers and stakeholders from across the African continent and beyond.

According to a dispatch, a central focus of this year’s gathering will be the election of a new president for the African Development Bank Group. This comes as the current president, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, concludes his second five-year term.

In addition to plenary sessions, Minister Ngafuan is expected to engage in a number of bilateral and multilateral discussions on the sidelines of the meetings.

Notably, Minister Ngafuan will serve as one of the panelists for the Thematic Knowledge Event 2" "Building Effective Institutions in Africa for Harnessing Capital for Development".

The knowledge event to be held on Friday, May 30 will offer a vital platform for dialogue on strengthening Africa's institutions and governance systems to better harness capital for development.

Minister Ngafuan will give the report of the Standing Committee of the Board of Governors of the AfDB on Conditions of Service for Elected Officers to the board for endorsement. The board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27. The report contains key recommendations agreed by the committee at their meeting in Washington DC.

The Liberian Finance Minister was unanimously elected as the Chair of the Standing Committee of the Board of Governors of the AfDB on Conditions of Service for Elected Officers at the meeting of the Committee held on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank Spring Meeting held in April 2025 in Washington, DC.

The Liberian delegation will also meet with the Head of the Africa Water Facility. At that meeting, the Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation Hon. Mohammed Ali will join the team. The African Water Facility headquartered in Abidjan mobilizes and deploys financial and human resources to ensure water security in Africa, and thus contribute to the achievement of the targets and objectives set by the African Water Vision for 2025 and the Sustainable Development Goals - 2030.

Convened under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development,” this year’s meetings will emphasize strategies to harness the continent’s financial, human, and natural capital in support of inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development.

Participants will also explore opportunities for enhanced partnerships and external financing to support Africa’s long-term transformation.