Nigeria, June 7 -- It is not the end. Not yet. But it was the beginning of the end. President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Nigeria's Dr Akinwumi Adesina, was hosting the last Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, as his 10 years at the helm of affairs of the Bank lapses on August 31. A new President resumes September 1.

Two weeks ago, I had received a phone call from Ms Lola Visser-Mabogunje, Special Adviser on Stakeholder Engagement to the AfDB boss, that Dr Adesina would like to invite me as Special Guest at the Annual Meetings. I scanned my schedule for May 26-30, and saw that I could make it. She said I should expect a formal invitation.

Within minutes, I received the invitation by email from a ...