A Danish citizen, Salawou is an accomplished leader, with over 20 years of experience. He has advised several regional member countries, Regional Economic Communities and institutions on infrastructure development and financing.
He twice led the Bank’s support to two African Union Commission/African Union Development Agency-NEPAD Programs for Infrastructure Development in Africa and chaired the continental task force for the preparation of the second phase, worth $160.8 billion in investment for 2021-2030, leading to its adoption by African heads of state during the February 2021 summit.
As Division Manager, Infrastructure and Partnerships, Mr. Salawou has managed the NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Fund (NEPAD- IPPF). He has also coordinated the activities of the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa and represented the Bank on global infrastructure fora, including the G20 Infrastructure Working Group.
Salawou has a strong track record in managing the NEPAD-IPPF Special Fund and building a robust pipeline of bankable regional projects with $35.1 billion investment potential. Having joined the Bank as a Young Professional in 2002, Mr. Salawou has held several other leadership positions, including serving as Advisor to the Vice-President and the Secretary General.
Before joining the African Development Bank, Mr. Salawou worked as an investment banker for Société Générale in Paris, and as a management consultant in Copenhagen.