The President of Equatorial Guinea, Téodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and the Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou-Nguesso have been crowned as recipients of the 2024 Babacar Ndiaye Prize for their efforts towards enhancing road infrastructure in their respective countries.
While making the announcement during an event held at the Millenium Downtown Central Hotel in Dubai, UAE on April 18th 2024, the Africa Road Builders selection committee singled out President Nguema’s “exceptional leadership, commitment to sustainable development, and remarkable achievements in the field of road infrastructure” as well as President Sassou-Nguesso’s “development of road infrastructure and unwavering determination to stimulate economic development” as the key factors behind their selection as joint recipients of the prestigious prize.
Sponsored by the African Development Bank Group, the Babacar Ndiaye Africa Road Builders prize is awarded by Acturoutes, a platform that provides information on the road network and infrastructure in Africa, and by Media for Infrastructure and Finance in Africa (MIFA), a network of African journalists specializing in road infrastructure.
The winners’ trophies will be presented during the final conference of the African Development Bank’s annual meetings which is scheduled to take place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Kenya from 27th to 31st May 2024.
Previous winners of the prize include Kenya’s immediate former President, Uhuru Kenyatta who was awarded in 2018, Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu who was the 2022 recipient and Madagascar’s Andry Rajoelina who received the 2023 honours, among other African Heads of State.
The prize was created in honour of Babacar Ndiaye, who was President of the African Development Bank Group from 1985 to 1995.
