Nigeria’s former minister of agriculture and rural development, Akinwumi Adesina, who presently serves as President of the African Development Bank, has been named the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate at a ceremony at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Adesina is to receive a $250,000 prize for driving change in African agriculture for over 25 years and improving food security for millions across the continent.
Awarded by the World Food Prize Foundation, Adesina is honoured for his leading role over the past two decades in significantly expanding food production in Nigeria; introducing initiatives to exponentially increase the availability of credit for smallholder farmers across the African continent; and galvanising the political will to transform African agriculture.
“The selection of President Akinwumi Adesina as the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate reflects both his breakthrough achievements as Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria and his critical role in the development of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
“It also gives further impetus to his profound vision for enhancing nutrition, uplifting smallholder farmers, and inspiring the next generation of Africans, as they confront the challenges of the 21st century,” said Kenneth Quinn, President of the World Food Prize Foundation, in making public Adesina’s name.
Adesina’s policies are noted to have expanded Nigeria’s food production by 21 million metric tons, and the country attracted $5.6 billion in private sector investments in agriculture – earning him the reputation as the “farmer’s Minister.”
“As someone who grew out of poverty, I know that poverty is not pretty,” said Adesina. “My life mission is to lift up millions of people out of poverty, especially farmers in rural areas of Africa. We must give hope and turn agriculture into a business all across Africa to create wealth for African economies. The World Food Prize gives me an even greater global platform to make that future happen much faster for Africa.”
The World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognising the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.
The Prize was founded in 1986 by Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize. Since then, the World Food Prize has honored 45 outstanding individuals who have made vital contributions throughout the world. The World Food Prize annually hosts the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium and a variety of youth education programs to help further the discussion on cutting-edge global food security issues and inspire the next generation to end hunger.
CALEB OJEWALE
