The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina has won the Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Prize.
The award celebrates the outstanding leadership and ideals of late Nigerian nationalist Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Ambassador Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu commended Adesina, citing his possession of attributes synonymous with Chief Awolowo’s leadership: integrity, credibility, discipline, courage, selflessness, accountability, tenacity, vision, and people-centric leadership.
Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, hailed Adesina’s exemplary qualities, terming him a visionary leader dedicated to transforming lives.
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Emeritus of the World Food Prize Foundation, Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, lauded Adesina’s bold initiatives in addressing critical challenges, particularly in food security and developmental projects across Africa.
According to Quinn, “President Adesina has traversed the African continent evangelising his profound vision to end childhood stunting through enhanced nutrition; uplifting smallholder farmers, the great majority of them women; providing critical financing for a broad array of infrastructure projects so critical to development and modernisation.”
In a joint statement, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Global Center on Adaptation CEO Prof. Dr Patrick Verkooijen praised the AfDB President, likening his leadership to the exemplary traits of Chief Awolowo.
Established in 1992, the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation fostering leadership excellence.
Akinwumi Adesina joins the league of distinguished recipients, including Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and former South African President Thabo Mbeki. The award ceremony, slated for March 6, 2024, includes an honouree keynote lecture.