Remarks by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at the 2025 Annual Meetings Plenary

Overview & Synopsis

These remarks were delivered by the World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at the 2025 Annual Meetings Plenary on October 17, 2025. He speaks to the urgency of delivering development that creates jobs in a world facing conflict, demographic change, climate risk, and fiscal stress. He emphasizes the dual responsibility of preventing conflict while preparing for reconstruction and underscores that job creation, particularly for a rapidly growing youth population in developing countries, especially in Africa, must be central to development, economic, and national security strategies. He outlines major institutional reforms to make the World Bank Group faster, simpler, and more impactful and presents a three pillar approach that links public investment, policy and institutional reform, and private capital mobilization. He highlights priority sectors with strong job creation potential, key initiatives in energy, health, agribusiness, and minerals, and new tools to mobilize private capital at scale. He concludes by stressing that resilient, fiscally sound, and transparent development, measured through results and focused on jobs, translates investment into dignity, opportunity, stability, and a better future.