By Hapsa Dia – Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who holds a PhD in agriculture economics, has been serving as the Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria since 2011. He demonstrated his effectiveness towards key agricultural issues while in office, contributing in creating around three million jobs in that sector. According to The Guardian, while serving as the Minister of Agriculture “food production increased by 22 million tons and food imports dropped more than a third”.
In his speech after the elections, he confirmed his goal to capitalize Africa’s potential “A big thing for us in Africa is to create an inclusive model with jobs for Africa’s youth, jobs for Africa’s women, revive Africa’s rural areas and have regional integration for shared prosperity.”
This vision is also shared by Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union, with the program CAADP encouraging all African countries to invest at least 10% of their respective national budgets in agriculture. With Dr. Adesina who has a successful track record in leading an agricultural revolution in Nigeria and the leadership of the African Union, the ADB can now reinforce its agricultural strategy throughout Africa.