Buhari Endorses Akinwunmi Adesina For African Development Bank Presidency

The president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari
(retd), has asked the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) to support one of
President Goodluck Jonathan’s right-hand men,
Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, to emerge the next
president of the African Development Bank (AfDB)
.
Dr Adesina is the current minister of agriculture
and rural development.
To this end, Buhari has communicated his
support for Adesina’s candidacy to the Ghanaian
president, John Dramani Mahama, who is the
current chairman of the sub-regional group,
ECOWAS.
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the
spokesman of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Malam
Garba Shehu, the president-elect was quoted as
saying that he was endorsing Adesina’s
candidacy for the AfDB top job not just because
the minister was a Nigerian but because he has a
record of excellent performance over time.
“Dr Adesina has a proven track record in a career
that predates his position as Nigeria’s minister for
agriculture and rural development,” Buhari said.
He noted that Adesina had years of experience
while working in Francophone and Anglophone
countries, and a passion to help eradicate poverty
in Africa by reducing unemployment and
inequality among African youths.
“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 the minister of
agriculture and rural development in 2011, he was
the vice president, Policy and Partnerships
Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
Additionally, he has held senior leadership
positions in a number of agricultural institutions in
the world,” the statement added.