Announcement - President of the African Development Bank Group Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has appealed to leaders in Nigeria and across Africa to make poverty history as he outlined a compelling case for welfarist policies and people-centred development.
African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, receving the 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership Award, with his wife, Yemisi Grace Adesina, at the ceremony in Lagos.
Leaders from across Nigeria included Vice President Kashim Shettima who represented President Bola Tinubu, former Presidents Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Olusegun Obasanjo and Yakubu Gowon and Ghana's former president John Dramani Mahama.
"The African Development Bank and development partners are providing $1.4 billion for the development of 25 Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones in eleven countries," he said. "This is not a gold medal Nigeria should be proud of wearing," he said and expressed concern about"the poor funding of universities, lack of basic infrastructure, poor incentives for lecturers and incessant strikes due to wage disputes, have almost crippled the university system."
The Bank Group president said,"Citizen's accountability forums are needed for the people to have a say in how their nation's resources are being used and how their governments are performing." He said for Nigeria to succeed with much needed welfarist and people-centered policies, it is necessary to change the governance system to decentralize greater autonomy to the states.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who chaired the 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership Award ceremony, described Adesina as a dynamic and visionary leader. In a message read by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Nigeria's President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu said Adesina's ability to navigate the complexities of his role at the African Development Bank demonstrates his competence and resilience in the face of challenges.
"We need this hope and concrete action to showcase that Africa can become self-sufficient in food," the Ethiopian president added. Many global figures sent congratulatory messages to Adesina for the award, including the President of the World Bank Group Ajay Banga, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Chief Executive Officer of Agence Française de Développement Rémy Rioux; Chief Executive Officer of the Global Center on Adaptation Prof. Dr.
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