Djibouti, 12 June 2022 (TDI): AfDB President, Akinwumi A. Adesina, received Djibouti’s highest national honor of “Commandeur dans l’ordre National”.
Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, the Prime Minister of Djibouti conferred the award to President Adesina. Meanwhile, President Adesina also expressed his great thankfulness to Ismail Omar Guelleh, the President of Djibouti.
AfDB President received this honor during his visit to Djibouti on 6 June 2022. Before arriving in Djibouti, President Adesina also visited Ghana and Kenya. During his visit to Djibouti, the President of AfDB had a series of meeting with Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh, local entrepreneurs, and senior officers from different departments.
According to the meeting, AfDB and Djibouti mainly focused on a plan for “Djibouti beyond ports”. The plan aims to turn the port into a world-class ICT, services, and logistics hub for Africa. Meanwhile, President Adesina also emphasized that he was deeply impressed by women-leading business in Djibouti.
The Cooperation between AfDB and Djibouti
AfDB and Djibouti have been cooperating for a long time in different fields with various international partners. For instance, by coordinating with the World Bank, AfDB has invested in a project which aims to build a second double-circuit high voltage electric power transmission line. The line will be able to connect the high voltage substation at Galafi, at the border with Ethiopia, to the Nagad substation, near Djibouti-Ville. This project will improve regional connectivity through low-cost and clean electricity transmission between Ethiopia and Djibouti.
According to Adesina: “Djibouti needs to look beyond the port, diversify its economy, and scale-up development. There is no drought in terms of ideas, creativity, passion, and determination.”
Adesina’s words are based on AfDB’s overview analysis of the development situation in Djibouti.
Djibouti is a country where nearly one million people rely on imported food. The Red Sea port remains the main source of Djibouti’s income and employment. It is also a significant gateway for eastern Africa. Therefore, to achieve the comprehensive development of Djibouti, AfDB and the national authorities are mainly working in the fields of energy, climate change, agriculture, and transport infrastructure resilience.
