Adesina Appointed to World Food Prize Foundation Council of Advisors |LAGOS EYE NEWS

The World Food Prize Foundation has announced the appointment of the outgoing President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, to its prestigious Council of Advisors.

This was disclosed in a statement made available to the media on Wednesday.

Adesina, who is set to complete his second five-year term as AfDB President in September, was the 2017 recipient of the World Food Prize for his leadership and contributions to agricultural development.

According to the statement, “The World Food Prize Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of 2017 World Food Prize Laureate and President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, to the Foundation’s Council of Advisors.”

The Council of Advisors, appointed by the Foundation’s Board of Directors, comprises former Heads of State and Government, ministers, and global leaders in food and agricultural science, education, research, and policy. Members of the Council provide guidance to the board and staff to help advance the Foundation’s mission and the vision of its founder, Dr. Norman Borlaug.

Reacting to the appointment, Dr. Adesina expressed gratitude and enthusiasm, stating, “It is such a great honor to join the prestigious Council of Advisors of the World Food Prize Foundation. To feed the world, we must raise agricultural productivity, support farmers, and ensure access to and affordability of nutritious foods for all. We must achieve a hunger-free world. Thank you, World Food Prize, for this great honor and appointment.”

An agricultural economist and development expert, Adesina is internationally recognized for over two decades of leadership in agriculture and food policy. Before his tenure at AfDB, he served as Vice President for Policy and Partnerships at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) under the Rockefeller Foundation, and later as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from 2011 to 2015.

In 2015, he became the first Nigerian to be elected President of the African Development Bank, where he championed the “High 5” development agenda, focusing on priorities such as “Feed Africa” and “Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.”

https://x.com/akin_adesina/status/1932827741356691886?t=d07gLMMoSoNCYjUCol6NQw&s=19