Buhari nominates Adesina for re-election as AfDB president

President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Akinwumi Adesina for re-election as the president of African Development Bank.

Adesina, confirmed this in a speech he delivered when he received Emeka-Anyaoku Life-Time Achievement Award organised by Hallmarks of Labour Foundation in Lagos on Sunday.

The AfDB boss appreciated President Buhari for the nomination, adding that the country had invested so much in him.

According to him, when asked by former President Goodluck Jonathan to serve as Minister of Agriculture, he served Nigeria to the best of his ability.

He said, “With the strong support of former President Jonathan and the then President elect, Buhari, we campaigned very hard for the position of the president of the AfDB.

“By God’s grace, I was elected president of the African Development Bank on May 28, 2015, exactly 24 hours after my term of office as minister ended.

“The nation jubilated as I became the first-ever Nigerian to be elected president of the bank since its establishment in 1964.

“It was a national effort as we received support from former presidents and heads of state such as General Abdusalam Abubakar, General Yakubu Gowon, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who ran a spirited campaign for me.”

Adesina said he worked hard during his four years as president of the AfDB.

He said, “We have gone some way climbing the steep mountainside of Africa’s development, yet there’s still much way to go until we reach the mountaintop.

“Nigeria, again, is giving me air in my lungs, to keep on climbing. I wish to immensely thank and appreciate President Buhari for nominating me for a second term for re-election as president of the AfDB and for being such a wonderful champion and supporter of my re-election.”

He noted that though the AfDB had continued to maintain its global AAA rating, there was still much to do.