AfDB executive director calls on head of state |04 April 2023

Mr Nzayikorera with President Ramkalawan at State House

The executive director of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Jonathan Nzayikorera, paid a courtesy call on President Wavel Ramkalawan, yesterday afternoon at State House. 

Mr Nzayikorera is on an official consultative mission in the country as its representative on the AfDB board.

He said the aims of his meeting with the head of state were to brief him on the bank’s affairs, seek guidance on strategic areas that local authorities need to focus on, as well as to commend the authorities for the existing relationship between the AfDB and Seychelles.

In an interview with the local media shortly after, he described the discussion as quite interesting stating he appreciated the insights he got from President Ramkalawan and he was impressed to see where he was taking the government.

“Seychelles ranks top in a number of aspects from social, governance and political,” stated Mr Nzayikorera.

He also commended the head of state for his decision to fully commit the country towards achieving full vaccination following the outbreak of Covid-19, and for being the first African leader to get vaccinated, setting an example for Africa and the world.

Another area addressed yesterday was the opportunity for economic diversification, which the executive director said was important seeing that Seychelles’ economy depends more on tourism and fisheries “and these are exposed to external shocks”.

They also talked about the private sector’s role in the country. “We are looking at more opportunities that private actors can benefit from the bank. We have received the valuable guidance on how the private sector can benefit from what the bank is doing,” stated Mr Nzayikorera.

In a press release, the Office of the President stated that the head of state welcomed Mr Nzayikorera on his first visit to Seychelles and thanked the AfDB for all the support that it has provided to Seychelles over the years.

It added that President Ramkalawan acknowledged the effort of Mr Nzayikorera in pushing the agenda of Seychelles at the AfDB and hoped that he had a fruitful mission here in Seychelles that would further boost the country’s economic development.

“On behalf of the government of Seychelles, I would like to thank the AfDB for the continued assistance that it has provided in helping us to forge ahead in our economic development and stability. The budget support that the AfDB provided helped us, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a challenging time but we managed to overcome the difficulties. We are committed to maintaining a diplomatic principle for the betterment and the goodwill of our nation. With all the assistance that the AfDB provides, we are sure to remain on the right track. Rest assured on our continuous support,” said the President.

Mr Nzayikorera was accompanied by senior advisor at the AfDB, Ronald Cafrine. Also present at the meeting were the Minister for Finance, National Planning and Trade, Naadir Hassan, and the Governor of the Central Bank, Caroline Abel.

Patsy Canaya/State House press release