Akinwumi Adesina Explained

Office:8th President of the African
Development Bank
Term Start:1 September 2015
Predecessor:Donald Kaberuka
Order2:Nigerian Agriculture Minister
President2:Goodluck Jonathan
Term Start2:2010
Term End2:2015
Predecessor2:Abba Sayyadi Ruma
Successor2:Audu Ogbeh
Birth Date:6 February 1960[1]
Birth Place:Nigeria
Nationality:Nigerian

Akinwumi Adesina CON is a Nigerian economist, who is currently serving as the President of the African Development Bank. He previously served as Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.[2] Until his appointment as Minister in 2010, he was Vice President of Policy and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). He was elected as the President of the African Development Bank in 2015 and re-elected for a second term in 2020. He is the first Nigerian to hold the post.[1]

Early life and education

Adesina was born to a Nigerian farmer in Ibadan, Oyo state.[3] He attended Ejigbo Baptist High School (EBHS) and had a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics with First Class Honors from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria in 1981.[4] He was the first student to be awarded this distinction by the university. He pursued further studies at Purdue University, Indiana and briefly returned to Nigeria in 1984, to get married.[5] He obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics in 1988 from Purdue, where he won the outstanding Ph.D. thesis for his research work.[6]

Career

From 1990 to 1995, Adesina served as a senior economist at West African Rice Development Association (WARDA) in Bouaké, Ivory Coast.[7] He worked at the Rockefeller Foundation since winning a fellowship from the foundation as a senior scientist in 1988. From 1999 to 2003, he was the representative of the Foundation for the Southern African area.[7] From 2003 to 2008, he was an associate director for food security.[8]

Adesina was the Nigerian Agriculture Minister from 2010 to 2015.[9] Adesina was named Forbes African Man of the Year, for his reform of Nigerian agriculture. He introduced more transparency into the fertiliser supply chain.[10] He also said that he would give away mobile phones to farmers, but this proved too difficult. One of the reasons was lack of a mobile network in country areas.

In 2010, United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, appointed him as one of 17 global leaders, to spearhead the Millennium Development Goals.[1] Adesina received the 2010 Borlaug CAST Communication Award from the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), the year that the award was renamed after agricultural biologist and 1970 Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug.[11]

On 28 May 2015, Adesina was elected the presumptive President of the African Development Bank. He began his tenure of the office on 1 September 2015.[12]

In September 2016, Adesina was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, to serve as member of the Lead Group of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement.[13] In 2017, he was awarded 2017 World Food Prize.[14]

On 27 August 2020, Adesina was re-elected as President of the Africa Development Bank for a second term of five years.[15]

In March 2024, the 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Award was officially presented to Akinwumi Adesina, during a ceremony held on March 6 at the Continental Hotel in Lagos.[16]

Personal life

While at Purdue University, Adesina and his wife, along with another couple, started a Christian group called the African Student Fellowship.[5]

Awards and Honors

National

Foreign

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Biography. 4 April 2019. African Development Bank - Building today, a better Africa tomorrow. 18 September 2024.
  2. News: Interview: Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture, Nigeria. 30 July 2013. This is Africa. 19 September 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150112054018/https://www.thisisafricaonline.com/Analysis/Interview-Akinwumi-Adesina-Minister-of-Agriculture-Nigeria?ct=true. 12 January 2015. dead.
  3. Web site: Akinwumi Adesina: from farmer's son to Africa bank chief. African Spotlight. 28 May 2015. 1 June 2015. https://archive.today/20160922132032/https://africanspotlight.com/2015/05/28/akinwumi-adesina-from-farmers-son-to-africa-bank-chief/. 22 September 2016. dead.
  4. News: 28 May 2015. Nigerian Minister, Adesina, Elected President Of African Development Bank. 8 March 2022. Sahara Reporters.
  5. Book: Broersma, Delmar. B077DZ8JTP. God's Surprises Along the Journey. 2017. 89–93.
  6. Web site: Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina. https://web.archive.org/web/20130807093012/http://hmndp.org/node/233. dead. 7 August 2013. March 2013. High-Level Meeting on Drought National Policy. 19 September 2014.
  7. Web site: AfDB's Akinwumi Adesina named 2017 World Food Prize Laureate. 26 June 2017. CNBC Africa. 28 May 2020. 3 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200803121907/https://www.cnbcafrica.com/west-africa/2017/06/26/afdbs-akinwumi-adesina-recognised-2017-world-food-prize-laureate/. dead.
  8. News: The Travails of Akinwumi Adesina. Vanguard. 13 June 2020. 18 September 2024.
  9. https://www.itrealms.com.ng/2013/05/nira-gets-3-life-patrons.html NIRA gets 3 life Patrons
  10. News: 3 December 2013. Nigerian is 'African of the year'. BBC News. 28 May 2020.
  11. Web site: Dr. Akin Adesina. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. 8 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240708210826/https://cast-science.org/awards/borlaug-cast-communication-award/borlaug-cast-communication-award-recipients/dr-akin-adesina/. 8 July 2024. dead.
  12. Web site: 1 September 2015. Africa can no longer manage poverty, we must eliminate it – Adesina. 1 September 2015. Ghana Business News. Dogbevi. Emmanuel K..
  13. https://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sga1678.doc.htm Secretary-General Appoints 29 Global Leaders to Spearhead Fight against Malnutrition
  14. Web site: AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina wins $250,000 World Food Prize. Akwei. Ismail. africanews. 27 June 2017. 18 September 2024.
  15. Web site: 27 August 2020. Akinwunmi Adesina re-elected as AFDB president. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20210125215908/https://sellbeta.com/blog/akinwunmi-adesina-re-elected-as-afdb-president/. 25 January 2021. 27 August 2020. Sellbeta.
  16. Web site: De nombreuses personnalités ont assisté à la cérémonie de remise du Prix Obafemi Awolowo à M. Adesina à Lagos. African. New. African Union. 11 March 2024. 19 November 2024.
  17. News: Nigeria's Akinwumi Adesina named Forbes African of the Year. BBC. 3 December 2013. 23 January 2016.
  18. News: 24 November 2015. Nigerians dominate New Africa's 100 Most Influential Africans of 2015. 6 January 2021. Vanguard.
  19. Web site: Afe Babalola University Confers Honorary Doctorate Degree on African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina. 8 February 2019. African Development Bank - Building today, a better Africa tomorrow. 3 February 2020.
  20. 18 December 2019. African Of The Year. Forbes Africa.
  21. Web site: 27th Convocation Begins. 30 January 2020. FUNAAB. 3 February 2020. 31 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200131125836/https://unaab.edu.ng/2020/01/27th-convocation-begins/. dead.
  22. Web site: 16 May 2022. AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina, Receives Honorary Degree In Ethiopia. 16 May 2022. Metro Daily. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516040344/https://metrodailyng.com/afdb-president-akinwumi-adesina-receives-honorary-degree-in-ethiopia/. 16 May 2022. dead.
  23. Web site: Akinwumi Adesina – Fostering, Feeding & Financing the Africa We Want. Perbi Executive Leadership Education. 18 April 2024.
  24. Web site: BUK Confers Honorary Doctorate Degree on Senator Barau, Adesina. Bayero University. 7 March 2024.
  25. News: Cameroun : Akinwumi Adesina décoré par le Président Biya. Cameroon: Akinwumi Adesina decorated by President Biya. fr. 19 July 2017. 18 September 2024.
  26. News: AfDB President Adesina receives Gambia's highest national honour. Premium Times. 6 October 2023. 18 September 2024.
  27. Web site: Akinwumi Adesina receives accolade of highest honour of the Republic of Liberia. 16 January 2018. 18 September 2024.
  28. Web site: Niger: le président de la BAD, Akinwumi Adesina, élevé à la dignité de Grand officier de l'ordre du Mérite. Niger: AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina elevated to the dignity of Grand Officer of the Order of Merit. fr. 28 September 2017. 18 September 2024.
  29. Web site: Le président de la BAD Akinwumi Adesina décoré dans l'Ordre National du Lion du Sénégal. AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina Awarded the National Order of the Lion of Senegal. fr. 24 October 2016. 18 September 2024.
  30. Web site: African Development Bank President awarded Togo's highest civilian honor. 26 June 2018. 18 September 2024.
  31. Web site: Akinwumi A. Adesina à Caïd Essebsi: La BAD disposée à soutenir la Tunisie dans divers domaines. Akinwumi A. Adesina to Caid Essebsi: AfDB ready to support Tunisia in various fields. 18 September 2024.

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