By Franice Tandoh
In an interview on the GTV Breakfast Show on February 24, 2025, Dr. Samuel Munzele Maimbo, a Zambian development finance expert and candidate for the African Development Bank (AfDB) presidency, shared an optimistic yet urgent vision for Africa’s future.
With over 30 years of experience spanning continents, Dr. Maimbo reflected on how lessons from Europe’s post-World War II recovery, China’s rise, and India’s growth could light the way for Africa, if only the continent could muster the ambition and execution to match.
“Solutions are hidden in plain sight,” Dr. Maimbo stated, speaking with a conviction that cut through the morning air.
He argued that Africa’s growth needs to hit a pace and scale never seen before to meet the dreams of its youth, create jobs, and let governments fund the prosperity their people deserve. The recipe? Back-to-basics investments in infrastructure, education, and energy but with a relentless focus on getting it done right. “Africa has more than enough plans,” he said. “It’s execution, execution, execution.”
Dr. Maimbo’s three decades with the World Bank, where he’s held roles from Chief of Staff to Vice President of Budget and Strategic Planning, shone through as he connected his global experience to his AfDB ambitions.
He recalled partnering with the AfDB to boost financial inclusion across Africa and working with the Asian Development Bank in Afghanistan—experiences that taught him the power of planning, tracking money flows, and measuring results. “I want to be a full-time CEO every single day,” he said, promising to harness the AfDB’s vast network to deliver for the continent.
For Ghana, his message hit home with a practical twist. Pointing to the country’s rich agricultural potential, he questioned why Africa, with 60% of the world’s arable land, imports so much of its food. “Every time we import, we’re exporting capital that should stay with our neighbours,” he noted.
“Ghana has fantastic food. It is so spicy for a Zambian like me, but there’s no reason why the vast majority of Ghana’s agricultural exports shouldn’t be going to neighbouring countries and vice versa. That’s the only way we get the capital to get the country going as quickly,” he stated.
