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Akinwumi Adesina bows out after a decade of transformative leadership at AfDB

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BREAKING NEWS: Did You Miss The 400 $ex T4pe of Equatorial Guinea senior official Baltasar Ebang Engonga? Quickly W4tch! Before They Are deleted Be The First Person To See The Full Videos. Now!The Sofitel Hotel in Abidjan glittered with tributes on Saturday, August 30, as African leaders, development partners, and staff of the African Development Bank (AfDB) gathered to bid farewell to Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who concluded his 10-year presidency of the continent’s premier development finance institution.

From heads of state to former colleagues, the evening became less of a goodbye and more of a celebration of an era.

Nigeria’s Industry, Trade and Investment Minister, Dr. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, captured the mood of the moment saying “He has shown us how development is not an abstract concept, but a powerful force that touches and transforms millions of lives.”

She led a high-powered Nigerian delegation, including former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and governors Seyi Makinde, Caleb Muftwang, and Uba Sani, a testament to the national pride Adesina’s achievements inspire.

From Mission to Legacy

For Adesina, the journey was never about a title. “I came to the Bank with a mission, not to take a job,” he told the gathering in a heartfelt farewell speech that earned him a standing ovation.

That mission, he said, was to make the AfDB “Africa’s most trusted development financier.”

By many accounts, he succeeded. The Bank’s “High 5” strategic priorities—Light Up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for Africans—reached an estimated 565 million people over the past decade.

Under his watch, the Bank’s capital base swelled from $93 billion in 2015 to $318 billion in 2024, while maintaining a sterling AAA credit rating.

It also pioneered groundbreaking innovations in development finance, including synthetic securitization and a $750 million private sector hybrid capital transaction.

Building Africa, Brick by Brick

The numbers tell part of the story. Over $102 billion in support for African economies. More than $55 billion poured into infrastructure—power grids, roads, water and sanitation, ports, airports, and digital networks.

But beyond macroeconomic achievements, Adesina’s legacy is etched in institutional reforms and human capital growth.

During his tenure, 236 staff earned promotions, many rising from entry-level to professional ranks. Gender parity advanced significantly, with women now occupying 44% of Vice President roles, compared to 14% a decade ago.

“The Bank’s greatest asset is its people,” Adesina declared, thanking his staff and his wife, Grace, whom he credited as a sounding board for major policy ideas.

A Leader Recognized

Global recognition followed. In 2024, the AfDB was ranked the world’s most transparent financial institution for its sovereign portfolio for the second consecutive year.

Its concessional financing window, the African Development Fund, was ranked second-best globally, ahead of 55 peers in advanced economies.

Adesina’s leadership, according to Osinbajo, was defined not just by crisis response but by foresight: “The success we see now is not just from the last two years, but from the foundation laid a decade ago.”

Passing the Baton

Adesina’s farewell was also a handover. On September 1, 2025, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah takes the helm.

Adesina offered words of assurance: “Leadership may change, but the mission remains. The Bank’s direction is clear, its resolve strong, and its commitment to Africa’s development unshakable.”

And in words that resonated deeply with his audience, Adesina affirmed his enduring identity: “I will live as an African and die as an African, and if at all possible, ask God on the last day to resurrect as an African.”

As the applause lingered, it was clear his decade had left an indelible mark—not only on an institution, but on a continent striving for transformation.BREAKING NEWS: Did You Miss The 400 $ex T4pe of Equatorial Guinea senior official Baltasar Ebang Engonga? Quickly W4tch! Before They Are deleted Be The First Person To See The Full Videos. Now!

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National Pension Commission (PenCom) changes price disclosure rule

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National Pension Commission (PenCom) has directed Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) to discontinue the publication of daily unit prices for Retirement Savings Account (RSA) and Retiree Funds on their websites, replacing the requirement with a six-month disclosure of returns based on a three-year rolling average.

The directive was contained in a circular issued by the commission.

Under the new guideline, PFAs must stop implementing Section 2.0 (iv) of the Commission’s March 23, 2013 circular, which required them to display daily unit prices for the last seven days.

Instead, they are to publish on their websites the last six months’ rate of return — calculated as a 36-month compounded rolling average in line with the Circular for the Calculation and Reporting of Rate of Returns by Licensed Pension Fund Operators (LPFOs).

According to the commission, the rate of return must be clearly displayed on the homepage of each PFA’s website.

For instance, the six-month disclosure covering April to September 2025 would reflect the 36-month compounded returns ending in each of those months.

This has however raised transparency concerns in the pension industry.

The 2013 circular on Minimum Information to be displayed on PFA Websites formed part of PenCom’s transparency framework for the Contributory Pension Scheme.

The latest addendum modifies that requirement but does not remove PFAs’ obligation to disclose performance information.

Industry watchers say the development may reignite debate over the balance between long-term investment reporting and real-time transparency in Nigeria’s pension industry.

All enquiries on the addendum, the Commission said, should be directed to its Surveillance Department.

An industry analyst who does not want her name mentioned said the move could reduce contributors’ access to real-time performance data.

She said: “Daily unit prices allowed RSA holders to independently track short-term movements and detect fluctuations in fund valuation.

“With only a three-year rolling average now required, contributors will no longer see recent performance in isolation”, she noted.

The analyst added that while pension funds are long-term vehicles, removing daily disclosure raises concerns about information asymmetry.

“PFAs will still compute daily valuations internally. The issue is whether contributors should be denied access to data that already exists,” the analyst said.

However, another pension expert defended the directive, noting that pensions are structured for long-term accumulation and should be assessed over extended periods.

“A 36-month rolling average smooth’s out short-term volatility and provides a more accurate reflection of sustained performance,” the expert said, warning that excessive focus on daily fluctuations could encourage reactionary fund switching.

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Dollar rises in black market on Monday, traders quote new exchange rate

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Dollar edges higher against the naira in black market trading Dollar edges higher against the naira in black market trading

The United States dollar at the parallel market increased in value on Monday, Febuary 23 with traders quote at N1,375/$ as the new selling exchange rate.

The new rate is a slight depreciation for the naira when compared to N1,343 a dollar market closed on Friday, February 20, 2026.

Abdulahhi, a forex dealer, told Legit.ng that the new exchange rate follows renew demand in the market.

“I am currently selling dollars at N1,375/$1 and buying at N1,355/$1. The pound is trading at N1,845 to sell and N1,805 to buy, while the euro is also moving steadily in the market.

“It seems this week the dollar will return to over N1,400. I have been getting a lot of request.”

The fall of the naira comes as BDC operators continue to face difficulties in accessing dollars from commercial banks.

BDCs can get dollar

The apex bank had previously issued a circular allowing licensed BDCs to access foreign exchange through authorised dealers at the prevailing market rate.

Under the directive, each BDC is permitted to purchase up to $150,000 weekly, subject to Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements and due diligence checks, Punch reports.

Leadership reported that despite a policy announcement, some operators disclosed that no transactions have been completed under the new arrangement.

A BDC operator, who requested anonymity, said the directive remains largely unimplemented. According to him, the circular provides that disbursements will be made through settlement accounts, a provision that has raised operational concerns.

He questioned the feasibility of seamless, real-time transfers between domiciliary accounts across different banks, noting that such infrastructure may not yet be fully in place.

The operator added that while commercial banks appear supportive of the policy, many are still developing internal processes to align with the CBN’s directive.

He explained that BDCs are required to submit bid orders through their banks, which would then access the market on their behalf.

Naira in the official market

Meanwhile, in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), the naira closed against the US dollar on Friday, February 20 at N1,346.32/$1 from N1,341.35/$1 a day earlier.

At the GTBank FX desk, the naira weakened by N7 against the dollar to quote N1,356/$1.

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