Mr. Development

Armed with international and government expertise, AfDBs Akinwumi Adesina says growing food is what will help lead Africa out of poverty.

- Peace Hyde

Akinwumi A. Adesina has just got offa transcontinental flight but shows no signs of jetlag whatsoever. He is immaculately dressed in a sharp suit complete with his trademark bowtie –a red one today – and is full of boundless energy. He is the man with substance, style and a sound bite for every occasion.

The 58-year-old cannot let long days or long flights rob him of the zest he needs to run a mammoth development bank in Africa.

“I am somebody who is focused in life. The only thing that gives me satisfaction is seeing people transform and not just in terms of one or two but in terms of tens of millions of people. That is what keeps me awake every day and that is what I do,” he says.

This tireless energy has led to his ascent as President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He assumed office as the eighth president of AfDB three years ago in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Adesina’s reputation to deliver on targets despite the odds has consistently earned him the moniker of risk-taker amongst his peers.

This was so even in 2010 when he became Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and was asked to set targets for his term.

“I said in three years we would be able to produce for Nigeria an additional 20 million metric tons worth of food. And they said that is too high. The Minister of National Planning told the President [of Nigeria], and the President said ‘Akin, you have set such a high target, why don’t you cut it down a little bit’. I said ‘Mr. President, I was not elected, I was appointed. So if I say I can do something and I get all the support I need, then I have no reason to not achieve it and if I don’t, fire me’,” says Adesina.

By the fourth year, he had produced 21 million tons of food exceeding his original target.