Buhari backs Adesina for ADB President

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has requested the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to support  the candidacy of Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina as president of the African Development Bank (ADB).

Adesina, the outgoing minister of agriculture and rural development, is contesting against seven others: Sufian Ahmed, Jaloul Ayed, Kordjé Bedoumra, Cristina Duarte, Samura M. W. Kamara,Thomas Z. Sakala and  Birama Boubacar Sidibé .
The election is slated as part of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the bank on May 28 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Gen. Buhari has communicated his backing of Dr. Adesina’s candidacy to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, the chairman of ECOWAS, a statement by spokesman Garba Shehu, said.
According to him, Gen. Buhari said his support of Dr. Adesina’s candidacy was not just because he is a Nigerian.
”Dr. Adesina has a proven track record in a career that predates his position as Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development.”
He added that Dr. Adesina had years of experience of working in Francophone and Anglophone countries, and a passion to help eradicate poverty in Africa by reducing unemployment and inequality among African youth.
Dr. Adesina is also an agricultural development expert with 24 years of experience in developing and managing successful agricultural Programmes across Africa.
Until his appointment as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2011, he was the Vice President, Policy and Partnerships Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Additionally, he has held senior leadership positions in a number of agricultural institutions in the world.
Speaking on his plan, the minister promised to focus on “smart infrastructure to allow increased productivity and efficiency in growth, to work on the private sector- private sector for wealth creation. The third is jobs for Africa’s youth and jobs for Africa’s women.
“The fourth area I am going put a lot of emphasis on is reviving rural economies to create shared prosperity and inclusive growth of the continent and finally,… regional integration and prosperity,”
The ADB operates under the leadership of the President, who serves as the legal representative of the Bank, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, and the Chief of Staff of the Bank. The President conducts the current business of the Bank, under the direction of the Board of Directors. The President is elected by the Board of Governors and serves a 5-year term, renewable once.
Outgoing President Dr. Donald Kaberuka, from Rwanda, was elected in July 2005