Nigeria’s President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressives Congress has thrown his support behind the minister of agriculture under the present government of President Goodluck Jonathan, in the person of Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina for the position of President of African Development Bank (ADB).
The President-elect has even requested the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to support the candidacy of Dr. Adesina. His position has been communicated to the Ghanaian President, John Dramani Mahama, who is the current chairperson of the ECOWAS.
In a statement today in Abuja today, General Buhari said that his support for Dr. Adesina’s candidacy was not just because he was Nigerian but that he “has a proven track record in a career that predates his position as Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development.”
According to him 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.” [myad]
