Buhari Pushing For Adesina To Be African Development Bank President

General Muhammadu Buhari, the president-elect of Nigeria, has asked the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to throw its weight behind the candidacy of Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina as the next president of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

General Buhari, according to PM News, 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, 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 has years of experience working in Francophone and Anglophone countries, and a passion to help eradicate poverty in Africa by reducing unemployment and inequality among African youth.

He noted that Dr. Adesina is also an agricultural development expert with 24 years of experience in developing and managing successful agricultural programmes across Africa.

READ ALSO: How Jonathan’s Decision Saved Nigeria From Famine – Adesina

Until his appointment as the minister of agriculture and rural development in 2011 he was the vice president of the 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 Nation reports that speaking on his plan if elected, Adesina promised to focus on “smart infrastructure to allow increased productivity and efficiency in growth, to work on the private sector- private sector for wealth creation. The third is jobs for Africa’s youth and jobs for Africa’s women.

“The fourth area I am going put a lot of emphasis on is reviving rural economies to create shared prosperity and inclusive growth of the continent and finally,… regional integration and prosperity.”

Adesina, the outgoing minister of agriculture and rural development in Nigeria, is contesting against seven others: Sufian Ahmed, Jaloul Ayed, Kordjé Bedoumra, Cristina Duarte, Samura M. W. Kamara,Thomas Z. Sakala and Birama Boubacar Sidibé .

The election is slated as part of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the bank on May 28 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

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