A veritable who's who of Nigerian society as well as international heads of state attended the glittering awards ceremony in honor of Dr. Adesina in Lagos.
The 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Award was earlier presented to Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The large guest list consisted of virtually the who's who of Nigerian society, past and present, and also included presidents and heads of state from other African countries.
Among the foreign heads of state was Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu-Hassan, who also served as chairwoman on the occasion. Other leaders included: Azali Assoumani, President of the Republic of the Union of Comoros and former Chairman of the African Union; Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia; Prime Minister Victoria Dogbe represents Faure Gnassingbe, President of Togo and former President of Ghana John Dramami Mahama.
Kashim Shettima, Vice President of Nigeria, represented Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of Nigeria, and led a strong Nigerian visiting list that included General Gowon, former Head of State; former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and former Vice President Namadi Sambo, GCON.
The date of March 6 coincides with the birth date of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Nigerian statesman in whose honor the award was established in 2012.
Adesina joins other African greats such as writer and philosopher Professor Wole Soyinka; Former South African President Thabo Mbeki and advocacy educator Chief Afe Babalola won the award.
The award is given every two years to an African personality who exhibits characteristics most similar to those of the late Awolowo, who was described as a sage, scholar, philosopher, futurist and “the best president Nigeria never had.”
Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Executive Director, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, said the selection committee in its selection of Dr. Adesina was unanimous “because he more than met the strict criteria for the award.” In fact, the committee of distinguished personalities of high integrity described him as “possessing the qualities of this award in the highest degree.”
Chief Emeka Anyaoku, CFR, Chairman, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation Leadership Prize Selection Committee, commended Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu for nurturing her father’s legacy. The former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Group described the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo as a unique leader driven by a clear personal philosophy and focused on the welfare of his people, a true patriot and nationalist who understood the dynamics of managing Nigeria's diversity .
Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and Chairman of the Awards Selection Committee, described the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo as a “unique leader driven by a clear personal philosophy and focused on the welfare of his people, a true patriot and nationalist who understands. “the dynamics of managing Nigeria’s diversity”.
Dr. Adesina was selected based on his performance as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture (2011 – 2015) and now as two-time President of the AfDB. In both roles, he had demonstrated his commitment to public service as well as his faith and commitment to the Pan-African cause for which Chief Awolowo was famous.
While Dr. Adesina's tenure as Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria saw the introduction of an innovative electronic wallet system that provided subsidized agricultural inputs directly to farmers, ending 40 years of corruption in the sector.
He also oversaw the transformation of the sector from subsistence farming into a lucrative business venture. His efforts resulted in $5.6 billion in private sector investment in the agricultural sector. Ultimately, Nigeria's food production recorded a remarkable increase of 21 million tonnes during his tenure.
Praise for Adesina
Former President of Nigeria, General Yakubu Gowon, said Adesina “represents the best of Nigeria, is hard-working, hard-working, brilliant, forward-thinking and deeply patriotic.” He described Adesina as a man with “intimidating academic credentials who stands on any platform” and urged him to prepare for more work as a reward for his hard work.
The President of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan described Adesina as “Africa’s optimist in chief” and “brave son of Nigeria”.
Having worked closely with him, she said the award was a fitting addition to his many honors as one of Africa's most visionary leaders.
Like Chief Awolowo, Adesina is one of the few visionaries for the development of Nigeria and Africa, one capable of transforming visions into concrete transformational solutions that impact the lives of millions of people across Africa.”
Hassan praised Adesina for his ability to work with all stakeholders, saying Tanzania was one of the countries that had directly benefited from his leadership of the AfDB. “Under him, the AfDB invested massively in energy, transport, agriculture, water and sanitation, and infrastructure for regional connectivity,” she said.
Further evidence of his impact is the $3 billion raised through his support for a standard-gauge railway connecting Tanzania with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.
President of the Union of Comoros, Azali Assoumani, praised Adesina for his ability to build partnerships and implement programs that transform the lives of millions of people across Africa. “Africa will always remember your achievement as one of the greatest leaders of all time,” he said.
The President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde, described Adesina as “very committed, eager to make a difference in people’s lives with tenacity and the tireless pursuit of excellence.”
Adesina acknowledged the host of international leaders who nominated him for the award and thanked former President Goodluck Jonathan, under whom he served as Minister of Agriculture, Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations; Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister; Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam and President Emeritus of the World Food Prize Foundation; Professor Adesoji O. Adelaja; and Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation, who supported the nomination.
Adesina said it was time for a new era of leadership in Africa that would transform the continent's potential into prosperity and end its status as a “museum of poverty.”
“We must deliver a better Nigeria and a better Africa to this generation and generations to come. Given the high levels of poverty in Africa, Nigeria and other countries, there is a need for animal welfare policies that exponentially expand opportunities for all, reduce inequalities and improve people's quality of life. These must be based on state-centric policies and wealth creation for all in the private sector,” he said.
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