The president-elect
African Development Bank (AfDB) and former minister for Agriculture, Dr
Akinwumi Adesina has said energy efficiency will top his agenda for Africa when
he assumes office in September.
He said the power
challenges in Africa were unacceptable because without power there can be no
industrialisation, inclusive growth, Private sector growth or agro processing.
Akinwumi who spoke at
an emotion laden sent forth ceremony on Friday June 12, organised by the
Ministry of Agriculture to honour him and his counterpart Minister of State,
Hajia Asabe Asmau Ahmed who was noticeably absent was optimistic that “curbing
power challenges will give rise to the much needed industrialisation Africa was
long due for”.
In his words ” the
number one thing on my agenda for Africa is energy,the fact that Africa does
not have energy is not acceptable and we cannot have industrialisation, private
sector development and agro processing unless we have power”.
He said, “Africa must
power itself and with that we can have industrialisation, be Green and become a
global power house in food and Agriculture.”
Akinwumi in his
appreciation for the support he received during the campaigns said, “I feel so
proud as a Nigerian for the tremendous support I received from everybody,particularly
former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who nominated me and generously
supported me and President Muhammadu Buhari who made several interventions and
worked ceaselessly to ensure we won the elections.”
Akinwumi said, “It is
a great honour to have been called,I did not win elections I was simply given a
responsibility to lead Africa to achieve Inclusive growth and I know together
we will build an Africa where we have inclusive growth, prosperity, peace,
stability and security and an Africa we will all be proud to call our Africa.
He assured he would
not rest until poverty was eradicated on the continent through the development
of power infrastructure across Africa.
Many
stakeholders poured encomiums on the former Minister including members of
the National Assembly, diplomats, youth farmers, rural farmers and cassava
growers among several others. they described Adesina as an outstanding personality
who had not only revived the nation’s agriculture, but is set to do Africa and
indeed the world proud.
Presenting a toast to
the minister and his wife, Mrs Grace Adesina, former director of the Security
and Exchange Commission (SEC) and also a former VP of the AfDB, Mrs Aruma Oteh,
noted that “Akinwumi’s emergence as the President of the AfDB calls for
celebration because in the bank’s over 50 years of existence,this is the first
time a Nigerian would emerge as its leader.
Akinwumi Adesina had
emerged the AfDB president after securing 58 percent of the total votes on May
28, 2015 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and will succeed Donald Kaberuka on September
1,
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