Akinwumi "Akin" 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]
Akinwumi Adesina | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Akinwumi Adesina in 2014 | |
| 8th President of the African Development Bank | |
| Assumed office 1 September 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Donald Kaberuka |
| Nigerian Agriculture Minister | |
| In office 2010–2015 | |
| President | Goodluck Jonathan |
| Preceded by | Abba Sayyadi Ruma |
| Succeeded by | Audu Ogbeh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 February 1960[1] Nigeria |
| Alma mater | University of Ife Purdue University (PhD) |
Early life and education
editAdesina 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
editFrom 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.[11]
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.[12]
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.[13]
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.[14] In 2017, he was awarded 2017 World Food Prize.[15]
On 27 August 2020, Adesina was re-elected as President of the Africa Development Bank for a second term of five years.[16]
Personal life
editWhile at Purdue University, Adesina and his wife, along with another couple, started a Christian group called the African Student Fellowship.[5] He and his wife, Grace, have three children, Rotimi, Emmanuel and Segun.[17]
Awards and Honors
edit- 2010, Borlaug CAST Communication Award, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST)[12]
- 2013, Forbes Africa Person of the Year[11]
- 2015, one of the Top 100 most influential Africans, New African magazine[18]
- 2018, Honorary Doctor, Afe Babalola University[19]
- 2019, Forbes Africa Person of the Year (2nd time)[20]
- January 28, 2020, Honorary Doctor of Science, Federal University Of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria[21]
- May 14, 2022, Honorary Doctorate, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, for contributions to the field of economics[22]
- 2023, Doctor of Science, Veritas University Abuja[23]
- 2024, Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration, Bayero University, Kano[24]
National
edit
Nigeria:
Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic - 2012
Foreign
edit
Cameroon:
Grand Officer of the Order of Valour - 2017[25]
Gambia:
Honorary Grand Commander of the Order of the Republic of The Gambia - 2023[26]
Liberia:
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Africa - 2018[27]
Niger:
Grand Officer of the National Order of Niger - 2017[28]
Senegal:
Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion - 2015[29]
Togo:
Grand Commander of the Order of Mono - 2018[30]
Tunisia:
Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit of Tunisia - 2019[31]
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References
edit- ^ a b c "Biography". African Development Bank - Building today, a better Africa tomorrow. 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ "Interview: Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture, Nigeria". This is Africa. 2013-07-30. Archived from the original on 2015-01-12. Retrieved 2014-09-19.
- ^ "Akinwumi Adesina: from farmer's son to Africa bank chief". African Spotlight. 2015-05-28. Archived from the original on 2016-09-22. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
- ^ "Nigerian Minister, Adesina, Elected President Of African Development Bank". Sahara Reporters. 2015-05-28. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ^ a b Broersma, Delmar (2017). God's Surprises Along the Journey. pp. 89–93. ASIN B077DZ8JTP.
- ^ "Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina". High-Level Meeting on Drought National Policy. March 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. Retrieved 2014-09-19.
- ^ a b "AfDB's Akinwumi Adesina named 2017 World Food Prize Laureate". CNBC Africa. 2017-06-26. Archived from the original on 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ^ "The Travails of Akinwumi Adesina". Vanguard. 2020-06-13. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ NIRA gets 3 life Patrons, IT Realms. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
- ^ "Nigerian is 'African of the year'". BBC News. 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- ^ a b "Nigeria's Akinwumi Adesina named Forbes African of the Year". BBC. 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
- ^ a b "Dr. Akin Adesina". Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. Archived from the original on 2024-07-08. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ Dogbevi, Emmanuel K. (2015-09-01). "Africa can no longer manage poverty, we must eliminate it – Adesina". Ghana Business News. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
- ^ Secretary-General Appoints 29 Global Leaders to Spearhead Fight against Malnutrition United Nations, press release of 21 September 2016.
- ^ Akwei, Ismail (2017-06-27). "AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina wins $250,000 World Food Prize". africanews. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ "Akinwunmi Adesina re-elected as AFDB president". Sellbeta. 2020-08-27. Archived from the original on 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- ^ "Profile: Akinwuni Adesina". Ogala WordPress. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ "Nigerians dominate New Africa's 100 Most Influential Africans of 2015". Vanguard. 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
- ^ "Afe Babalola University Confers Honorary Doctorate Degree on African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina". African Development Bank - Building today, a better Africa tomorrow. 2019-02-08. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
- ^ "African Of The Year". Forbes Africa. 2019-12-18.
- ^ "27th Convocation Begins". FUNAAB. 2020-01-30. Archived from the original on 2020-01-31. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
- ^ "AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina, Receives Honorary Degree In Ethiopia". Metro Daily. 2022-05-16. Archived from the original on 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ "Akinwumi Adesina – Fostering, Feeding & Financing the Africa We Want". Perbi Executive Leadership Education. 2024-04-18.
- ^ "BUK Confers Honorary Doctorate Degree on Senator Barau, Adesina". Bayero University. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ^ "Cameroun : Akinwumi Adesina décoré par le Président Biya" [Cameroon: Akinwumi Adesina decorated by President Biya] (in French). 2017-07-19. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ "AfDB President Adesina receives Gambia's highest national honour". Premium Times. 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ "Akinwumi Adesina receives accolade of highest honour of the Republic of Liberia". 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ "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] (in French). 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ "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] (in fr=2016-10-24). Retrieved 2024-09-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "African Development Bank President awarded Togo's highest civilian honor". 2018-06-26. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
- ^ "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]. Retrieved 2024-09-18.