President Bola Tinubu has hailed Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), on the award of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership.
Adesina has now joined the pantheon of other previous winners of the award such as Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, and lawyer-educationist, Chief Afe Babalola.
Tinubu in a statement by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York hailed the AfDB President for his visionary and noble endeavour to transform agriculture in Africa and ensure food security on the continent, recalling the growth enhancement schemes revolutionizing Nigeria’s agriculture value chains he introduced as the then Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The president also seized the acknowledged Adesina’s unblemished records, tried and tested integrity, as well as his immense leadership and development strides, particularly in agriculture, efforts of which have earned him numerous honours and recognition globally, including the World Food Prize in 2017.
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Tinubu wished the AfDB president more success at AfDB and strength in his service to Africa and to humanity at large.
Meanwhile, Adesina has asserted that the future of the Nigerian youths does not lie in Europe, North America or anywhere else but in the West African country, here in the continent of Africa.
Adesina, who spoke after serving and former African Presidents took turns to commend his outstanding leadership in Africa, said nations grow economically by keeping their best human capital at home and getting additional resource skills elsewhere.
The 64-year-old statesman lamented the migration phenomenon known as Japa which has been popularised by Nigerian youths leaving the country in their droves for economic prosperity and job security in faraway Europe, the Americas, Asia and other parts of the world.