President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina has stated emphatically that although economic growth is important, it does not put food on peoples’ tables
According to him, growth must necessarily translate into meaningful impacts on the lives of people.
“What we should be measuring is not the quantum of economic growth, but the quantum of growth in the quality of life of people,” Dr Adesina said
He made the assertion speaking at the African Delivery Unit Exchange Conference on Tuesday 24, November.
The conference was attended by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, Ministers, Ambassadors, Lord Mayors, the Board of Directors, Senior Management and Staff of the African Development Bank Group.
The AFDB President said development is about people and that it starts with people, is accountable to people, and must have positive impacts on people.
He However noted that although we need economic growth, the challenge most governments face is how to accelerate the delivery of results.
“Yes, we need economic growth, and it’s always a good sign when GDP grows, but let’s be clear, nobody eats GDP,” he asserted.
This is what President Kenyatta called ‘delivery imperative’ to close what he called ‘the empty space’ between policy and program conceptualization and delivery for people.
“That is what motivated me, when I was first elected President of the African Development Bank in 2015, to sharply focus our work on the High5s: Light up and power Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa, and Improve the quality of life of the people of Africa,” Dr Adesina said
Dr Adesina was in August this year re-elected as president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), to serve for a second five-year term.
