Employees have just alerted the governors of the Bank to behavior "contrary to
ethics" and preferential treatment within the Pan-African institution.
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A sensitive and embarrassing internal investigation is taking place at the African Development Bank (AfDB). In
discretion because it targets its president, the Nigerian Akinwumi Adesina. At the head, since 2015, of the
first development finance institution in Africa, this brilliant economist and former Minister of
agriculture in Nigeria (2011-2015) finds itself accused by a section of the staff of favoritism for the benefit
close compatriots and "unethical" behavior. The suspicions also bear
on cases of “violation of the code of conduct” and “hindering of efficiency (…) affecting confidence in
integrity" of the Bank.
At the origin of this embarrassing affair, there is "a group of staff members concerned" about
practices deemed dubious that they have meticulously listed, in the shadows, to avoid, they say, a "
institutional crisis. Anxious to preserve their anonymity, these employees turned into launchers
alert, as permitted by the AfDB's code of conduct. On January 19, they filed a complaint and sent the
the Bank's Integrity and Anti-Corruption Department an eleven-page document
detailing sixteen cases of alleged abuse, sometimes directly involving President Adesina. allegations
currently "examined by the Board of Governors of the AfDB", specifies the director of the department
of Legal Services, Godfred Awa Eddy Penn, who declined to comment.
Since then, these whistleblowers have deplored obstacles to the investigation but also "attempts made to
discover our identities", they write in a letter sent at the beginning of April, this time
directly to the Governors of the AfDB, representing the 54 African member countries and the 26 non-
regional (including France). “Staff close to the president [Adesina] have tried to
sabotage all attempts by the ethics committee to fulfill its functions,” the whistleblowers point out.
in this last letter. The latter did not wish to react.
“Nigerizing” the AfDB
In this note consulted by Le Monde Afrique, the whistleblowers begin by pointing out "
preferential treatment" granted to nationals of Nigeria, Africa's leading economic power
and main shareholder of the AfDB since its creation in 1964. “While around 9% of new recruits
were Nigerians (or dual nationals of Nigerian origin), they account for approximately 25% of
newly recruited management,” they write. This gives a certain echo to the criticisms formulated these
years by AfDB Governors but also by some African Heads of State.
At the end of 2019, the Chadian President, Idriss Déby, had written to Mr. Adesina to express his annoyance at this
topic. Ethiopia had also recalled having candidates for positions of responsibility. “Adesina has no
made no secret of his desire to “Nigerianize” the AfDB by entrusting compatriots with key positions, but also by
making it easier to extend lines of credit to leading Nigerian companies,” says a former
executive close to the president. Another denounces a false trial: “In proportion to its capital shares,
Nigeria [9.33%] is under-represented among AfDB staff. Conversely, France [3.7%] has
many employees. »

People close to President Adesina have been appointed to strategic positions within this institution
established in Abidjan which notably manages the public money of African taxpayers. But these appointments
ignore strict recruitment rules, insist whistleblowers. The latter cite the case of a friend of
Mr. Adesina appointed to a management position, yet still held by his predecessor. What compelled
ADB briefly to settle two salaries. Another, a childhood friend this time, was granted, in 2017, a
contract of 326,000 dollars (about 300,000 euros) for his Nigerian communication company, before being
himself recruited at the AfDB a few months later. However, during an internal audit of the institution, the contract
had been flagged as a potential "conflict of interest".
wave of departures
More recently, a Nigerian lawyer renowned for her skills and interpersonal skills was propelled at the end of 2019
at the head of the investment forum organized by the AfDB. But this former leader of the Commission
National Pensions Board in Nigeria, had been sacked two years earlier by President Muhammadu Buhari.
She has since been the subject of investigations by the authorities of her country for alleged embezzlement.
public. “Mr. Adesina could not have been unaware of her [legal] status when he recruited her,” write the
whistleblowers in their note. Asked about this, the AfDB did not wish to react.
A close adviser to Adesina recognizes, on condition of anonymity, a form of "vertical governance
sometimes perceived as authoritarian", before recalling that the president "has the political freedom to choose
men and women he trusts. It's like that everywhere”. At 60, Mr. Adesina will run for a
second term this year and intends to remain the all-powerful boss of the AfDB, which he energized at his
way, in particular by attracting private capital. In a development sector particularly
competitive and political, the institution remains a key player whose capital will increase from 93 to 208
billion dollars within ten years. “This capital increase is unprecedented and Adesina is without
probably the best promoter the Bank has ever had," said a Western diplomat.
Except that internally the ambitious President of the AfDB enjoys a more nuanced reputation and his governance is
particularly contested. Willingly "show off", a bit authoritarian in his way of leading, the boss
is indifferent to the criticisms and grumbling of its employees. He hardly seemed to be moved by the
recent wave of voluntary departures of some of the AfDB's best technicians, tired of their
governance and the whims of his "court". "To have a good job, it is no longer the skills that
take precedence, but proximity to Adesina and his lieutenants. This is the sad reality, confides a former executive. Gold
it is an institution that manages public money. »
Mix of genres
Internationally, Mr. Adesina is a recognized and appreciated personality, winner of the Sunhak Prize for
Peace 2019, two after receiving the World Food Prize. Except that the 750,000 dollars collected for these two
prices have, according to the whistleblowers, never been returned to the coffers of the AfDB, which nevertheless settled the
trips of his delegation to attend the ceremonies, in the United States and in South Korea. Same
mix of genres around his biography, published in 2019: the AfDB pays the author in charge of the portrait
praise from President Adesina who retains the rights privately.
He loves nothing so much as talking about his “vision” for agriculture, the development of the African continent. More
discreetly, he engages in the politics inherent in his function. “He uninhibited the usual political reservations
and gives the impression of returning the favor to those who brought him to power", observes a former executive,
disappointed with President Adesina.
Very close to the Ivorian head of state Alassane Ouattara, who had supported him during his first candidacy and
announced that he would support it again, the president of the AfDB with the eternal bow tie is willingly displayed
with the political leaders of his country, Nigeria. He goes there frequently, performing with
the head of state, Muhammadu Buhari, or with his vice-president Yemi Osinbajo.
" Preferential treatment "
However, according to whistleblowers, Nigerians are not the only ones to benefit from "treatments of
favour”. In their document, they point the finger at other recruitments and resignations of senior executives
occurred in recent years under questionable circumstances. And the cases are, here too, legion. Thereby,
in 2016, the newly appointed Director of Human Resources signed a contract with a company
Kenyan recruitment in which he would have shares.
While an internal audit is requested to shed light on this affair, President Adesina would, according to
whistleblowers, allowed his employee to resign and enjoy a "significant compensation for
departure ". That same year, 2016, a Zambian executive “fraudulently awarded,” according to another audit and
an internal investigation, two contracts for an amount of 18 million dollars to Russian and American companies.
He was promoted in October 2019. "A perplexing case of impunity", note the whistleblowers. At the
read, these practices have not really stopped. In January 2020, the AfDB's Ethics Office has a new head appointed thanks to "little arrangements between friends", despite its past mistakes. She had
accused his predecessor of harassment but his complaint turned out to be false and "malicious", according to a
internal investigation.
“The President appoints as Chief Ethics Officer a person guilty of conduct seriously
unethical", note the whistleblowers who say they are mobilized to "prevent fraud,
corruption or misconduct (…) to restore confidence in the effectiveness of the governance of the
Bank ". The management of the AfDB assures that these facts, for the most part demonstrated by internal investigations
passed, are currently "reviewed".
Monday, April 6, the day after the publication of this article, Akinwumi Adesina, President of the AfDB, reacted
in a press release. He says he is "convinced" that the internal investigations will conclude with "allegations
fallacious" and announces that "soon the truth will come to light". Contacted during this investigation, the
BAD did not wish to react or comment on ongoing proceedings.