From Aid To Prosperity: Samuel Maimbo’s Bold Vision To Power Africa’s Future

By Ajong Mbapndah L*

In a period where Africa stands at the crossroads of profound change, few voices resonate with more clarity and urgency than that of Dr Samuel Munzele Maimbo, Zambia’s candidate for the African Development Bank presidency. In an exclusive conversation with Pan African Visions Managing Editor Ajong Mbapndah L, Maimbo shares not just a campaign pitch, but a lived journey — one rooted in years of leadership, resilience, and unwavering belief in Africa’s boundless potential. With palpable energy, he speaks of a continent ready to shift from cycles of aid to cycles of self-powered growth, driven by trade, digital innovation, and the spirit of its young people. This is not just a candidacy — it’s a movement built on lived experience, deep continental engagement, and a bold vision for Africa’s future, says Dr Samuel Maimbo

 May we know how your campaign for the AfDB has gone so far?

Dr Samuel Maimbo: It's been going very well. The messages that I've been sharing with governments on the continent have been resonating. People are looking for three things. First, they want to grow their economies fast. They've got young people who are looking for jobs. They've got economies that they need to grow. The messages I've been sharing about how we grow our economies faster have resonated well.

Secondly, all of them are looking to strengthen their financial sustainability. They need help raising significantly higher money resources, something I've been doing at the World Bank for a while. Thirdly, they are looking for an efficient and effective African Development Bank – An institution that can use its voice, its finances, and its staff, to support their own development agenda.

If elected, what are some of the core themes that you are going to work on for the AfDB?

Dr Samuel Maimbo: My primary goal is to get African countries trading with each other. The Continental Free Trade Agreement that we have signed is the largest continental trade agreement that we have. The key for us is not to spend another ten years negotiating its implementation, but to implement it as quickly as possible.

Number two is connectivity on the continent. Infrastructure investments that connect different parts of the continent so that it is easier to travel, it is easier to trade on the continent. Number three is energy. We must invest in our energy; we connect our energy pools. Africa has huge potential not only to power itself but also to export power.

Number four, not necessarily in that order, is agriculture. Africa has to feed itself more than we currently are doing. Because each time we spend, every year we spend $50 billion importing food, we are literally taking capital and exporting it. That's capital that should be going to eat others' economies so that we can grow collectively.

You have been crisscrossing the continent, talking to stakeholders, what is the message you are getting from stakeholders and is there any concrete support towards your candidacy?

Dr Samuel Maimbo: The one thing that is coming out is a sense of urgency. The leaders that I am meeting on the continent are an enlightened group. They know what they want for their people. They are very clear in their visions of growing the economy quickly. They don't need any more lectures from anybody. They are looking for support.

The support that I am finding is from countries who are looking for an institution that is run professionally, that is quick in making decisions, that moves from projects designed to implementation much faster, that aligns its priorities with their own national government priorities and also speaks on behalf of African governments on African-wide issues. That's what they are looking for, and that's the primary base of my support.

In terms of support from your own government, the Zambian government, how supportive have they been to you?

Dr Samuel Maimbo: The Zambian government's support has been solid. From the president to the entire cabinet to the government to every Zambian citizen, wherever I have gone, this is no longer Sam's vision. It is a shared vision. But what's even more important for me is not just the Zambian vision.

It is the vision that is coming from the SADC region. I have gone to every SADC region, and the support has been strong. The COMESA countries' support has been strong. I have gone to every part of this continent, North, East, West, South – the resonance, the sound; the drumbeats of change have been beating hard, the drumbeats of economic development and pace.

The one thing that I'm pursuing, and that I will pursue from day one, is to support the transition from an aid-to-debt cycle that we have been in constantly, to one of growth and prosperity. We can power this growth and prosperity cycle with the resources we already have on the continent. What we need is our self-confidence.

What we need is belief in each other, to trade with each other, to connect our infrastructure, to let our young people work together with a digitally enabled growth strategy that is strong. That gives me confidence. Of course, I'm realistic. We have significant challenges on the continent, but I'm willing and ready to roll up my sleeves and work through them.

Talking about support, we noticed that SADC has two candidates in the running, are there any fears that your support in the region may be chipped off by the other candidate?

Dr Samuel Maimbo: SADC has one official candidate. South Africa decided to get into this race after we had completed a competitive process with seven candidates. The other candidates I have worked with acknowledge the legitimacy of that process. I am not worried about losing SADC support on this particular occasion. I have gone around to all of the heads of state other than South Africa, and their commitment to standing by the SADC decision remains strong.

But I have not taken that support for granted. I have gone back to share my vision. It is that shared sense of purpose about growing our economies, supporting our young people, connecting our economies, and investing in infrastructure. That's the base of my support. It's that base that I'm taking to COMESA. I'm taking beyond the shores of our continent to our non-African shareholders. That's what I'm carrying into the election on May 29.

A question on the man you're running to replace, Dr Akinwumi Adesina. Anything you'd like to say about the eight years of his leadership?

Dr Samuel Maimbo: I firmly believe that the leadership of the African Development Bank is a relay race. Every president takes on the mantle, and runs as fast as they can, with a sense of belief in what they want to accomplish. They all face the challenges of their time, and I am confident that when I take on the baton, I will face challenges that are unique to my presidency.

My goal is to make sure that when I hand over to the next president, they will see that I have run a good race, I have done everything I possibly can to support our governments, to support our people, and to support our institution.

There are five candidates in the race, any last word to the voters out there as to why you are the best man for the job at this point?

Dr Samuel Maimbo: None of the candidates in this race are my competitors. The only things I'm competing against are poverty, hunger, lack of power, unemployment, and inflation. That's who I am competing with. I will continue that fight until the election, and I will accelerate that fight the day after the election.

*Culled From May Issue of PAV Magazine