Dodoma Ring Road Named After AfDB Icon Akinwumi Adesina

In a powerful tribute that cements his legacy as a transformative African leader, Tanzania has named the newly completed 112-kilometre Dodoma Outer Ring Road after Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the immediate past President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The renaming of the key national highway was announced by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan during the formal inauguration ceremony held in Dodoma, with Adesina present on a two-day working visit to the country.

“I have accepted a recommendation by the Ministry of Works to rename the Dodoma Outer Ring Road as the Dr. Akinwumi Adesina Road,” President Suluhu declared to a crowd of dignitaries, government officials, and international partners.

Hailing Adesina as “a visionary leader, a tireless son of Africa who has dedicated his life to transform the narrative of the continent,” Suluhu described the gesture as a mark of national gratitude for Adesina’s deep and lasting impact on Tanzania’s infrastructure and socio-economic transformation.

The newly christened Dr. Akinwumi Adesina Road is a dual carriageway of strategic significance, forming part of the broader Cape to Cairo continental trade corridor. Its completion is expected to significantly ease traffic congestion in Dodoma, Tanzania’s fast-growing administrative capital, and to enhance regional integration through improved logistics and cross-border trade.

The project was funded through a collaborative financing structure led by the African Development Bank, which provided \$138 million. The Africa Growing Together Fund contributed an additional \$42 million, while the Government of Tanzania invested \$34.69 million.

President Suluhu praised the AfDB for its transformative support, especially during Adesina’s tenure, saying:
“Your visionary leadership has brought significant socio-economic change to Tanzania and across Africa. From this road to the Msalato International Airport and the Standard Gauge Railway linking Tanzania to Burundi and the DRC—these projects reflect real solutions to the challenges of our people.”

Adesina, visibly moved by the honour, reaffirmed the AfDB’s commitment to inclusive development, saying:
“This road is more than infrastructure—it is a bridge of hope, opportunity, and prosperity. I’m deeply humbled by this recognition.”

Since the Bank began operations in Tanzania in 1971, it has committed more than \$9 billion to the country’s development. Notably, over half of that—\$4.73 billion—was disbursed in the past decade alone under Adesina’s leadership, reflecting a significant intensification of AfDB’s support in key sectors.

The event marks a milestone not only in Tanzania’s national development trajectory but also in the legacy of Adesina, whose efforts to reframe Africa’s narrative through infrastructure, innovation, and integration continue to reverberate across the continent.

“On behalf of the people of Tanzania,” President Suluhu concluded, “I express our gratitude to the African Development Bank for being a dependable partner in our development journey.”