Africa-Press – Zambia. Let me put it plainly: I’m not neutral. Not even pretending. I’m loudly, proudly, and yes — shamelessly — rooting for Dr. Samuel Munzele Maimbo to become the next President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Is it because he’s the most qualified? Absolutely.
Is it also because he’s Zambian and I’m Zambian? You bet your last ngwee it is.
Why Maimbo? Let’s Break It Down Like Nshima at Lunch with fisashi and kapenta.
1. World Bank War Horse: Two decades at the World Bank stabilising fragile economies? That’s not a CV — that’s an economic emergency survival guide.
2. Pan-African Footprint: From Mali to Lesotho, Liberia to Mozambique — Maimbo has walked the continent more than most of us have walked from Cairo Road to Kamwala.
3. Brain & Brawn: A PhD from Manchester, an MBA, Chartered Accountant. Most of us are still borrowing calculators — Maimbo is redesigning financial systems.
4. Squeaky Clean: No scandals. In Africa, that’s a superpower.
5. He’s ours: This is Lusaka rising. Maimbo’s moment reminds us: support merit over mediocrity. Tribe, party, or pew shouldn’t matter — excellence should.
The Competition? Sure…
Strong contenders like Vera Songwe, Donald Kaberuka, and Zinsou are in the race — and credit where it’s due.
But Maimbo doesn’t just tick boxes. He is the box.
Remember: it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
And Maimbo’s a bulldog with a PhD.
Why This Job Matters (More Than You Think)
The AfDB isn’t some ceremonial post. It’s the engine room of Africa’s development.
Yet over 50% of its funding still comes from outside Africa.
Now imagine Donald Trump 2.0 at the wheel in Washington:
“No more money for AfDB. Africa? Sad!”
We need a leader who understands African problems and speaks fluent “donor” without begging. That’s Maimbo.
Real Talk: The Challenges Are Brutal
• Climate change is frying our crops.
• Youth unemployment is peaking.
• Wars from Gaza to Sudan are pushing prices up.
• The US-China tug-of-war? Africa’s the rope.
We don’t need a ceremonial ribbon-cutter. We need a development ninja — someone who can balance debt, build infrastructure, and still make it for community prayers in Mongu.
Salute the Don H
Credit to President Hakainde Hichilema for backing Dr. Maimbo fully.
That’s how you support home-grown excellence — not just cadres and cousins, but competent Zambians who make us proud globally.
Today it’s Maimbo, tomorrow its Mukwita or Bwalya, support ‘em all because they are qualified Zambians.
To brother Maimbo, hombre just remember that it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight but about the size of the fight in the dog. Go for it, either way you have won.
Whether He Wins or Not…
Dr. Maimbo has already done Zambia proud. He’s shown the world that brilliance can come from Kitwe or Kabulonga — not just Brussels or Boston.
If he wins, Zambia wins. Like when Kalu brought us the AFCON trophy in 2012 — no tribe, no party, just One Zambia, One Nation.
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