The African Development Bank’s Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) officially opened its biennial Development Evaluation Week on Thursday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, attended by more than 400 government policy- and decision-makers, representatives from development partners, research and academic institutions, evaluation associations and civil society. Bank shareholders, management and staff are also attending the three-day event.

The African Development Bank is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Vincent Nmehielle as the Secretary General of the African Development Bank Group with effect from 1^st September 2016. He will join the Senior Management Team of the Bank.

Professor Nmehielle, a South African national, joins the Bank from the African Union Commission where is currently the Legal Counsel and Director of Legal Affairs.

The African Development Bank Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Ismaila Dieng as Director of Communications and External Relations, effective 1^st September 2016. He will join the Senior Management Team of the Bank.

Ismaila Dieng, a Senegalese national, joins the Bank from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where he is currently working as Africa Team Leader in the Communications Department.

The African Development Bank group has committed to support Equatorial Guinea’s economic diversification into agro-industry and a program of capacity building to foster public policies.

The commitment followed the Bank Board’s approval of Equatorial Guinea’s Country Strategy Paper (CSP) for 2018-2022, in Abidjan on Wednesday, 5 August 2018.

The 2018-2022 CSP provides the strategic orientation of the Bank’s support to the government’s efforts to diversify the economy.

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the Government of Korea have officially launched preparations for the Bank’s 2018 Annual Meetings, to be held in Korea.

The 53rd Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors of the AfDB and 44th Meetings of the Board of Governors of the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional arm of the Bank Group, are scheduled to take place from  22-25 May  2018 in Busan, which is located about 325 kilometres southeast of Seoul.