The departing vice president for agriculture, human and social development at the African development Bank, AfDB Jennifer Blanke has praised the institution’s president for his strong leadership and guidance.
Contrary to some insinuations, Blanke is not leaving because of the situation at the bank which has pitched some so-called whistleblowers against bank president Akinwumi Adesina who is due for re-election for a second and final term in August.
According to her, “I am leaving purely for family reasons to rejoin my family in Switzerland, after a very fulfilling time at the bank. I will miss the bank and the excellent team we have built, and I will continue to strongly support the bank from wherever I am.”
In a statement made available to BusinessDay Wednesday, Blanke who joined the bank in 2017 and is leaving to pursue other interests said, “I thank the president(Adesina) for his strong leadership, guidance and support which have undoubtedly motivated and helped my team and I to play a key role in the transformation of the bank.
“I feel privileged to have been given an opportunity to contribute to the bank’s agenda for accelerating Africa’s social and economic transformation.”
Adesina spoke of his delight working with Blanke over the past three and half years, saying of Blanke, “she demonstrated genuine leadership skills and moved the needle on so many fronts, especially in the areas of food security, women’s financial empowerment, and job creation.”
