The African Development Bank (AfDB) on Thursday said that Nigeria remained the highest shareholder of the bank with over nine per cent shares.
Prof. Vincent Nmehielle Secretary-General of the bank disclosed this at a press conference to announce the Annual General meeting of the bank.
Nmehielle said that the meeting would be held in Busan, Korea from May 21 to May 25, with the theme: “Industrialising Africa’’.
He said that it was false for some people to say that the bank was not an African bank noting that it had room to welcome non regional countries.
Nmehielle said the bank had 80 member countries comprising of 54 regional member countries and 24 non- regional members countries.
“This is an African bank and Nigeria still remained the largest shareholder with over nine per cent shares,’’ he said.
He noted that America has about six per cent shares as a non-regional member.
He named other non regional members of the bank to include Japan, Germany, Canada among others.
Nmehielle noted that the bank had received number of requests of interest from non- regional countries to join the bank.
According to him, the countries will be announced during the upcoming annual meeting in Korea.
Recall that on Jan. 15, Country Director of the AfDB, Ebrima Faai, says Nigeria is the bank’s largest shareholder with a portfolio of approximately six billion U.S dollars.
