Jennifer Blanke Quits as AfDB Vice President

The African Development Bank (AfDB), Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr Jennifer Blanke has resigned her appointment.

The bank’s Communications and External Relations Department made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

Blanke, who joined the Bank in early 2017 and had overseen a number of the bank’s key programmes, would officially leave on July 4.

Blanke said: “I thank President Akinwumi Adesina for his strong leadership, guidance and support which have undoubtedly motivated and helped my team and I to play a key role in the transformation of the bank.

“I feel privileged to have been given an opportunity to contribute to the bank’s agenda for accelerating Africa’s social and economic transformation.

“I am leaving purely for family reasons to rejoin my family in Switzerland after a very fulfilling time at the bank. I will miss the bank and the excellent team we have built.
“I will continue to strongly support the bank from wherever I am,” she stated.

Adesina expressed delight to have worked with Blanke for more than three years.

“I have been delighted to work with Dr. Jennifer Blanke over the past three and a half years. She has demonstrated genuine leadership skills and moved the needles on so many fronts, especially in the areas of food security, women’s financial empowerment, and job creation.

I wish her all the best and look forward to continued partnerships and engagement with Jennifer.”

June 10, 2020