The African Development Bank (AfDB) has recorded a remarkable 241.9% increase in capital over the past decade, ballooning from $93 billion in 2015 to $318 billion in 2025.

This unprecedented expansion, the largest in the Bank’s history, comes as the institution prepares for a major leadership transition at its Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

During a press briefing with journalists on Monday, AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina reflected on his ten-year tenure, describing it as a mission rather than a job. He spoke of his sacrifices and the dedication required to lead a pan-African institution at such a scale.

“This is not a job. If anyone is looking for a job, please don’t take it. This is not a job. This is a mission,” Adesina said. “As my wife Grace and staff would tell you, for ten years I have had no life. Completely zero. I worked every single day. Every single step.”

Under Adesina’s leadership, the Bank secured $8.9 billion in the latest replenishment of the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional financing arm that serves Africa’s low-income countries, and says it has delivered development outcomes that have positively impacted over 500 million people. The AfDB also maintained its triple-A credit ratings throughout his presidency, allowing it to leverage global capital markets to finance major infrastructure and social projects across the continent.

He emphasized that despite the leadership change set for later this year, the institution’s direction remains steadfast.

“Leadership may change, but the mission remains. The Bank’s direction is clear, its resolve strong, and its commitment to Africa’s development unshakable,” Adesina told reporters.

This year’s Annual Meetings, scheduled from May 26 to 30, are expected to be the largest in the Bank’s history, drawing over 6,000 participants from 91 countries — including finance ministers, central bank governors, private sector players, civil society groups, academics, and development partners. The gathering will serve as a platform for high-level dialogue on Africa’s economic future under the theme: “Africa’s Transformation, the African Development Bank Group, and Reform of the Global Financial Architecture.”

The event also marks the end of Adesina’s presidency and the selection of his successor. The Board of Governors will decide on May 29 who will take over as the Bank’s new president.

The five candidates are Swazi Tshabalala of South Africa, currently the AfDB’s Senior Vice President; Hott Amadou of Senegal, a former Minister of Economy and Bank alumnus; Samuel Munzele Maimbo from Zambia, a senior financial inclusion expert at the World Bank; Sidi Tah Ould from Mauritania, a veteran in Islamic finance; and Abbas Mahamat Tolli of Chad, the current head of the Bank of Central African States.

The new leader will inherit a financially stronger institution but also a continent grappling with complex challenges: widening infrastructure gaps, surging debt burdens, limited access to energy, and worsening climate vulnerabilities. The AfDB has positioned itself as a key player in tackling these challenges through initiatives such as Light Up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa. These programs, launched during Adesina’s tenure, have helped refocus development priorities around inclusive growth and sustainable investment.

The upcoming leadership will also have a central role in supporting the rollout of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) — a flagship African Union initiative aimed at creating a single market of 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of over $3.4 trillion. AfDB has been one of the key institutions supporting the AfCFTA, providing financing and technical support to enhance regional infrastructure, improve trade facilitation, and build capacity among small businesses to tap into cross-border markets.

AfCFTA is considered Africa’s most ambitious economic integration initiative since independence, and the Bank has stressed that its success will depend on unlocking investment, harmonizing regulations, and lowering logistics costs across borders. Adesina has previously stated that The AfCFTA is not just a trade agreement; it is a development instrument.

The AfDB sees itself as a central enabler in this agenda. Its efforts to connect landlocked economies to seaports, expand digital infrastructure, and support cross-border power and transport projects are aligned with the broader goal of boosting intra-African trade, which currently accounts for less than 15% of total trade on the continent. If fully implemented, AfCFTA could lift an estimated 30 million people out of extreme poverty and increase Africa’s income by $450 billion by 2035, according to the World Bank.

As the Bank prepares to usher in new leadership, the emphasis remains on continuity of purpose. However, the expanded capital base, institutional resilience, and sharpened continental priorities leave the incoming president with the tools needed to steer Africa’s premier development finance institution into its next phase.

In today’s China, a telling shift is quietly taking place between Beijing and Shanghai—two of Asia’s most powerful economic engines. The change isn’t in their GDP rankings or political clout, but on the rails connecting them.

Every day, more Chinese travelers are ditching airplanes for bullet trains, opting for the comfort and reliability of high-speed rail. What was once a luxury has become routine—evidence, many believe, of a kind of transport efficiency that only China seems capable of delivering at such scale.

The numbers tell their own story. In 2023, over 52 million people took the high-speed train between Beijing and Shanghai. Flights on the same route? Just 8.6 million. The difference is so stark that it’s forced airlines into a defensive crouch. Cheaper fares, chauffeur services, flexible ticketing—air carriers are throwing every trick in the book at travelers who seem increasingly unwilling to return to airport hassles, turbulence delays, or the dreaded in-flight radio silence.

For business travelers, the shift is more than just a preference; it’s a strategy. China Railway now runs the distance—about 1,300 kilometers—in just over four hours, offering a seamless journey from city center to city center.

With trains departing more than 100 times a day in both directions, and services rarely skipping a beat regardless of weather, high-speed rail has carved out a dominance that’s almost impossible for airlines to match. The aircraft may fly faster, but the train arrives sooner when you factor in check-in, boarding, and the slow crawl from faraway airports.

“Going offline on a flight is a deal-breaker,” said Tong Lijun, deputy chief of Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, in an interview with Jiefang Daily. “Business travelers want to make the most of their time, and rail lets them do that—onboard internet, stable power, spacious seats. They can keep working the whole way.”

There’s something larger at play here than just a mode of transport. The rise of the bullet train as China’s preferred travel option speaks to something deeper—a showcase of infrastructure unmatched anywhere else in the world. While other countries argue over rail budgets, China has delivered a nationwide high-speed network that actually works. Trains reach speeds up to 350km/h, run with near-perfect punctuality, and are packed with thoughtful design: business cabins that rival airlines’ premium classes, quiet cars for undisturbed work, and boarding procedures that feel frictionless.

China’s airlines are fully aware of the threat. In an April report, the China Air Transport Association openly acknowledged that high-speed rail is “eroding” their customer base, especially among high-end travelers.

“With its continuous increase in speed, high-speed rail has a strong appeal in terms of total door-to-door commuting time and regularity,” it said.

The lure isn’t just about speed anymore—it’s about predictability, comfort, and connection. Flying, by contrast, increasingly feels like a gamble.

However, the aviation sector is not giving up. Both China Eastern Airlines and Air China have rolled out loyalty perks in recent months, including limousine pickups and flexible transfers between flights. Fares are being slashed too. On some days, flying between Beijing and Shanghai can cost less than a second-class train ticket. But price isn’t everything. When passengers know they’ll be on time, seated comfortably, and fully connected for the duration of the trip, the extra few yuan often seem like a price worth paying.

Meanwhile, the rail line’s financials are equally telling. Despite a rocky start riddled with delays and criticism, the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway has become one of the most profitable transport operations in the world. In 2024, it pulled in 42 billion yuan (about $5.8 billion) in revenue, with profits jumping over 10 percent to hit 12.8 billion yuan.

That level of success stands in contrast to many of China’s other rail lines, especially in the sparsely populated West, where the high-speed dream is often weighed down by heavy losses. But in the country’s eastern corridor, the trains don’t just run—they thrive.

The transformation between Beijing and Shanghai is fast becoming a case study of what state-led infrastructure can achieve when done with scale, speed, and commitment. It’s a point not lost on transport experts watching from abroad, where such comprehensive, high-speed connectivity remains a political talking point rather than a functional reality.

In Japan, the famed Tokaido Shinkansen runs nearly 150 trains daily in each direction between Tokyo and Osaka. Experts in China say matching or exceeding that frequency is no longer out of reach, and calls are growing to add even more service along the Beijing-Shanghai route. With the two cities generating a combined 10 trillion yuan in economic output last year, the corridor is only getting busier.

But perhaps the most striking takeaway is how normal it has all become. In China today, riding a bullet train at 217 miles per hour is no longer a novelty—it’s just how people get from A to B. For many watching from outside, that level of integration still feels decades away. Inside China, it’s already yesterday’s news.

And for the aviation industry trying to play catch-up, that’s the real turbulence.