Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, a globally renowned development economist, has been a leader in agricultural innovation in Africa for over 30 years, bringing significant improvement to Africa’s food security, and the establishment of strategic and far reaching agricultural policies to transform agriculture into a business, and to create wealth for millions of poor farmers.
Currently, he serves as the President of the African Development Bank where he directs inclusive growth for Africa’s economies. Also, through his transparency and accountability in the delivery of impactful programs, he drives a bold vision of Good Governance of Africa, which boosts Africa’s capacity to feed itself and transform its rural economies for generating wealth for millions of rural and poor African farmers.
Awarded the World Food Prize in 2017 for decades of innovative work on global agriculture and support for the poor and marginalized, Dr. Adesina continues to devote his passion and energy to ending global hunger, noting: “I will not rest until we end global hunger”. Forbes Africa Magazine of October 2018 dubbed Dr. Adesina as “Mr. Development” for his innovative approaches and inspiring leadership to help lift millions out of poverty. As a true mark of dedication to his cause, Dr. Adesina devoted his entire $250,000 World Food Prize to the establishment of the World Hunger Fighters’ Foundation, with the goal of helping end global hunger.
General Background
- February 6, 1960 – Born in Ibadan, Nigeria
- Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Economics (First Class Honors) from University of Ife, Nigeria (Now Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria).
- Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, USA
- Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, USA
- Honorary Doctor in Humane Letters from Franklin and Marshall College, USA
- Honorary Doctor of Agriculture from Purdue University, USA
- Honorary Doctor of Agriculture from Michigan State University, USA
- Honorary Doctor of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
- Honorary Doctorate, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
- Honorary Doctor of Science, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akugba, Nigeria
- Honorary Doctor of Letters from Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
- Honorary Doctor of Management, Nigerian Defense Academy, Kaduna, Nigeria
Professional Background
- 1988: Senior Agricultural Scientist at the Rockefeller Foundation, New York, USA
- 1990-1995: Principal Economist and Coordinator of the West Africa Rice Economics Task Force at the West Africa Development Association (WARDA).
- 1999-2003: Representative for Southern Africa at the Rockefeller Foundation, New York, USA
- 2003-2008: Associate Director for Food Security at the Rockefeller Foundation, New York, USA
- 2008-2011: Vice President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
- 2008-2010: President of the African Association of Agricultural Economists
- 2011-2015: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Nigeria
- 2015-Present: President of the African Development Bank Group
Awards
- 2007: YARA Prize for the African Green Revolution (YARA International), Oslo, Norway
- 2010: Borlaug CAST Communication Award (CAST), USA.
- 2015: Extraordinary Achievement Award (Silverbird Television)
- 2016: First Laureate of the FARA Africa Leadership Prize
- 2017: Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award (Global Nutrition Foundation), Washington DC, USA
- 2017: World Food Prize (World Food Prize Foundation, USA).
Recognition
- 2010: Appointed by the United Nations Secretary General as one of the 17 global leaders to spearhead the Millennium Development Goals
- 2013: “African Person of the Year” (Forbes Africa)
- 2016-Present: Board Member of the Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa
- 2018: Ranked the 9thMost Influential African by the Jeune Afrique Magazine
The Official Web Site of the Sunhak Peace Prize
