This year's Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) will be held virtually due to disruptions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Annual Meetings, initially scheduled for May, will take place from August 25-27 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, where the Bank's headquarters are located. The event will see the 55th Annual Meeting of the AfDB Board of Governors and 46th Meeting of the African Development Fund take place.

This will be the first time in the AfDB's 56-year history that the event is being held virtually.

AfDB Secretary-General Vincent Nmehielle said the decision was made to have the meeting held virtually as the existing situation and restrictions made it impossible for the Bank's governors to gather together in person.

"As a result, we are taking all precautions to safeguard the health and safety of our members, governors, executive directors, staff members, alternate governors as they participate in these Annual Meetings," Nmehielle said.

Nmehielle said that only statutory issues, such as the election of the Bank's president and a governors' dialogue, will be attended to during the Annual Meetings.

"We will not have the usual knowledge events where we have thousands of people participating because, this year, these Meetings, as I said, have been strictly streamlined. It is indeed an opportunity to test out this new normal in our virtual Annual Meetings where we intend to conduct the business of the Bank."

Akinwumi Adesina will be seeking a second term as AfDB president after an independent review last month found that the Bank had rightly cleared him of abuse of office allegations.

The governors' dialogue, meanwhile, will focus on assessing the Bank's efforts in meeting the commitments made for the 7th General Capital Increase and ADF-15 replenishment.

Source: African Development Bank