Its
good news for Nigeria as the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi
Adesina, is elected President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
His
election was on Thursday in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast where
the African Development Bank Annual General Meeting has been ongoing.
He beat seven other contenders for the top job.
The
cheering news comes as Nigeria prepares for the inauguration of the
newly elected administration of President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, which
holds in less than 24 hours.
The incoming president had in
April communicated his backing of Dr. Adesina’s candidacy to the
Ghanaian President, John Dramani Mahama, who is the current chairperson
of ECOWAS.
Mr Buhari said that his support of Dr. Adesina’s
candidacy was not just because he is Nigerian but because he “has a
proven track record in a career that predates his position as Nigeria’s
Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development”.
He added that
Dr. Adesina had years of experience of working in Francophone and
Anglophone countries, and a passion to help eradicate poverty in Africa
by reducing unemployment and inequality among African youth.
The
statement further adds that “Dr. Adesina is also an agricultural
development expert with 24 years of experience in developing and
managing successful agricultural Programmes across Africa”.
Until
his appointment as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development in 2011, he was the Vice President, Policy and Partnerships
Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
He has also held senior leadership positions in a number of agricultural institutions in the world.
Credit: Channels
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