Development finance institution the African Development Bank (AfDB) has appointed Mike Salawou as the director of its Infrastructure and Urban Development Department, effective from May 16.

Salawou previously served as acting director of the Infrastructure and Urban Development Department, where he led sovereign and non-sovereign operations. He also doubled as the department’s Infrastructure and Partnerships division manager.

In his new role, Salawou will guide the bank’s strategies and action plans towards implementation of the Ten-Year Strategy and High Five priorities.

He will oversee and grow a transport infrastructure portfolio worth more than $11-billion, while focusing on driving value, sector policy reforms, best practices and international standards for transport and urban development and related sectors, private sector and governments.

“Infrastructure is critical to economic development, regional integration and improvement of the quality of life of people as highlighted by the bank’s High 5s. I look forward to working with the operating partners internally and externally to reinforce the bank’s leadership in financing sustainable infrastructure and to strive to close the infrastructure financing gap on the continent,” he said.

Salawou has years of experience in the AfDB and has delivered transformational continental, regional and national infrastructure programmes, sector policy dialogue and initiatives, including the AfDB's support to the African Union Commission and African Union Development Agency New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, worth $160-billion in investment potential.

Salawou, who is a Danish national, successfully managed the NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Fund for bankable infrastructure projects, which mobilised close to $11.5-billion in downstream investment, including $2.6-billion from the private sector.

He joined the AfDB as a young professional in 2002. He has held several other leadership positions, including adviser to the VP and secretary-general and as acting manager for the NEPAD division.

He holds a Master of Science in Economics and Finance from Copenhagen Business School, Denmark; a dual Master of Arts in International Management from Copenhagen Business School and Ecole des hautes études commerciales, Paris, France; and an Executive Master’s degree in Development Policies and Management from Sciences Po Paris, France.

“The Infrastructure department is one of the key drivers of the bank’s High 5s, with huge potential for private sector development,” said AfDB Group president Dr Akinwumi Adesina.

“Mike is a pragmatic and solution-oriented professional, with hands-on experience in infrastructure financing and development. Having served the institution for many years in various capacities, his knowledge of the bank and its operations will enable him to build effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, and to roll out the bank’s strategies in a sustainable, integrated, inclusive and innovative manner across its regional member countries, in furtherance of the bank’s High 5s,” he added.