AfDB presidency: Buhari lobbies for Adesina

AfDB presidency: Buhari lobbies for Adesina

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 7:57 pm


Akinwunmi Adesina, agric minister

Akinwunmi Adesina, agric minister

General Muhammadu Buhari, the president-elect of Nigeria, has requested the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to support the candidacy of Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina as the next president of the African Development Bank (ADB).

General Buhari has communicated his backing of Dr. Adesina’s candidacy to the Ghanaian President, John Dramani Mahama, who is the current chairperson of the ECOWAS.

In a statement released in Abuja on Tuesday, April 21, General Buhari said that his support of Dr. Adesina’s candidacy was not just because he was Nigerian.

“Dr. Adesina has a proven track record in a career that predates his position as Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development,” General Buhari said.

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.

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.

Five candidates have been shortlisted for the post. Apart from Adesina, there is Ethiopia’s Finance Minister, Sufian Ahmed.

Another West African, Cape Verdean Finance Minister, Cristina Kamara, currently Vice President of the Islamic Development Bank, Birama Sidibe and Chad’s Finance Minister, Kordjé Bedoumra have also been shortlisted for the elections slated for May 2015.

According to the AfDB Board, the selection of the most eligible candidates to succeed President Donald Kaberuka was done by a Steering Committee of the Board of Governors at a meeting held in Abidjan on 11 Feb. Kaberuka is currently serving his second five-year term as AfDB President.

He was first elected in 2005 as the seventh President of the Bank Group since its establishment in 1963.

However, he was re-elected in May 2010 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, for a second five-year term.


Join The Conversation

One Comment

  • foluwagbo says:

    That’s the spirit! we should learn from Buhari’s action, supporting a Nigerian, first and foremost, then someone who qualifies. Thump up for GMB for this action

  • What do you think?

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.