In a moving tribute that underscored his pan-African leadership and the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) deepening development footprint across the continent, Tanzania has named a key national infrastructure, the 112-kilometre Dodoma Outer Ring Road, after the immediate past President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.

The announcement was made recently during the inauguration ceremony attended by President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Adesina, who was on a two-day working visit to Tanzania.

The Tanzanian leader described Adesina as “a visionary leader, a tireless son of Africa who has dedicated his life to transform the narrative of the continent.”

In a statement, President Suluhu declared: “I have accepted a recommendation by the Ministry of Works to rename the Dodoma Outer Ring Road as the Dr. Akinwumi Adesina Road.”

The newly named dual carriageway forms part of the Cape to Cairo continental corridor and is a strategic infrastructure project intended to ease congestion in Tanzania’s rapidly expanding administrative capital while enhancing regional trade and connectivity.

The road project was financed by the AfDB with $138 million, in addition to $42 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund, and $34.69 million from the Government of Tanzania.

Speaking at the commissioning, President Suluhu Hassan praised Adesina for the transformative support Tanzania has received under his leadership.

“Your visionary leadership has brought significant socio-economic change to Tanzania and across Africa,” she said, highlighting the role of the AfDB in major infrastructure developments including the ring road, the Msalato International Airport, and the Standard Gauge Railway connecting Tanzania to Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“These projects address the realities of Dodoma’s fast-rising population and the increasing demand for efficient transport,” she added.

Since beginning operations in Tanzania in 1971, the AfDB has invested over $9 billion in the country, with $4.73 billion or 53 per cent disbursed in just the last decade under Adesina’s leadership.

Recognising this contribution, Suluhu said: “On behalf of the people of Tanzania, I express our gratitude to the African Development Bank for being a dependable partner of our country’s development journey.” By Nume Ekeghe, ThisDay