BY DAYO ADESULU
The President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina, has received the Leadership Person of the Year award from the Leadership Newspaper Group in Nigeria. The award was given “in recognition of his impeccable public service record and extraordinary accomplishments in driving the growth and development of the African Development Bank Group.”
Senior Vice President, Leadership Group Limited, Azubuike Ishiekwene, said: “In the past five years during which Adesina has presided over the African Development Bank, conscious efforts have been made to re-dedicate the Bank to its core philosophy of ‘Building Today a Better Africa Tomorrow.’ Under the Light Up Africa Project, the African Development Bank has a 10-year plan to drastically reduce the number of Africans who lack access to electricity. Currently, 645 million people lack access to electricity in Africa and, so far, 18 million people have been provided with electricity in Morocco, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Egypt and other parts of the continent.”
Presenting the award, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, said: “Dr Adesina and other recipients are deserving of this award. To whom much is given, much is also expected.” Dr Adesina was represented at the award ceremony by the Director-General of the Bank Group’s Nigeria Country Department, Lamin Barrow.
Dr Adesina said: “I am most honoured to be conferred today with the Leadership Person of the Year award by the Leadership Newspapers Group. I congratulate my co-awardees for this great honour. The Leadership Newspaper is one of Nigeria’s most insightful newspapers and media organisations. Their record of promoting good governance and accountable leadership for the people of Nigeria, speaks for itself. I take this moment to salute the great foresight, tenacity and doggedness of your founder Sam Nda-Isaiah, who positioned Leadership Newspapers to what it is today. May his soul continue to rest in peace.”
Other recipients in the category were, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum.
An agricultural economist with several distinctions in academia, development financing and administration, Dr Adesina has consistently championed development policies and programmes that have a direct impact on the lives of ordinary Africans, reinforce regional integration and position the continent on a path of self-sufficiency.