The African Development Bank has appointed Richard Kwaku Ofori-Mante Acting Director of the Agricultural Finance and Rural Development Department, effective April 16, 2023.

Prior to the appointment, Ofori-Mante, a Ghanaian national, was manager of the Agriculture and Rural Finance Division, a position he has held since November 2017.

In this capacity, he leads and manages the origination, structuring and execution of agribusiness transactions for the Bank’s non-sovereign guaranteed operations. 

Ofori-Mante brings over 22 years of experience in debt capital markets, project, corporate and structured finance, with a demonstrated record of utilising innovative financial structures, risk-mitigating solutions and credit-enhancing instruments to mobilize capital for various transformative projects.

His rich experience includes working with private sector and governments in structuring and implementation of corporate and project finance debt transactions, equity investments, guarantees, risk management products and syndicated lending amongst others.

He also has lent his expertise to cross-border multi-jurisdictional transactions, most recently in the agribusiness sector.

Ofori-Mante joined the Bank in 2010 as a Principal Financial Analyst. In 2012 he was appointed Chief Financial Analyst in the Financial Technical Services Division of the Treasury Department, (now the Client Solutions Division of the Syndications, Co-financing and Client Solutions Department). 

Here he contributed to some of the most innovative transactions in African markets, providing solutions to projects and clients.

These include the development of local currency funding strategies for projects utilizing domestic bond issuance, cross currency swaps, or synthetic derivative structures.

He also developed and implemented innovative financial solutions, developing new products by mixing and matching instruments of the Bank, deploying a range of Bank products designed not only to attract financing from the private sector at the best available terms and conditions for the benefit of Bank’s clients but also to help manage vulnerability to market and political related risks.

Prior to joining the African Development Bank Group in 2010, Ofori-Mante was a Manager in the Financial Transactions Group of Deloitte Financial Advisory Services in Chicago, USA from 2004 to 2010.

He has a Master of Business Administration degree (MBA, Finance option), from the Olin School of Business, Washington University in Saint Louis, USA, and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering University from the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Ofori- Mante said: “I am grateful to President Adesina and humbled by his confidence in appointing me into this position.

"I am aware of the significant responsibilities that come with the role and committed to working tirelessly and collaboratively with my colleagues and Senior Management to deliver on the Bank’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, as well as its mandate and mission.”