All Africa children will soon be well-fed –Adesina
Adesina |
“I am proud as the Governor of
Iowa State to proclaim Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as the 2017 World Food Prize
Laureate.”
With these words, the Governor of
the State of Iowa, Kim Reynolds, officially named President of the African
Development Bank (AfDB) (AfDB.org), Akinwumi Adesina, as the 2017 World Food
Prize Laureate, on behalf of the World Food Prize Foundation, setting off an
atmosphere of festive celebration at the Iowa State Capitol Building in Des
Moines.
Accompanied by Olusegun Obasanjo,
former President of Nigeria, and John Mahama, former President of Ghana,
Adesina took elegant steps to the podium to receive the award – the world’s
highest recognition for food and agriculture, with his wife Grace and two
children, Rotimi and Segun, and a large and distinguished crowd cheering him
on.
Representatives of the Nigerian
Government, Purdue University, his alma mater, friends, associates and Bank
staff were among the well-wishers who came in out in large numbers to celebrate
the African agriculture icon, known as “Africa’s Norman Borlaug
(APO.af/fTuEw7).”
In line with his avowed
commitment to a new deal for youth empowerment, Adesina pledged to devote the
US $250,000 prize money to a fund in support of young African farmers and
agriculture entrepreneurs, or ‘agripreneurs.’
“And so, even though I don’t have
the cash in my hand, I hereby commit my $250,000 cash prize for the World Food
Prize award to set up a fund fully dedicated to providing financing for the
youth of Africa in agriculture to feed Africa,” he said.
“We will arise and feed Africa.
The day is coming very soon when all its children will be well-fed, and
millions of small-holder farmers will be able to send their kids to school. Then
you will hear a new song across Africa: ‘Thank God our lives are better at
last.’”
The President of the World Food
Prize Foundation, Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, paid tribute to Adesina “whose
breakthrough achievements have impacted millions of farmers and those living in
rural poverty in Nigeria and throughout Africa, and whose leadership holds
great promise for uplifting millions and millions more across that continent.”
In a speech at the colourful
ceremony, the Vice-President of the United States of America, Michael Pence,
commended the Laureate in a speech read on his behalf by Mark Green,
Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID).
“As our global food system is
stretched, and the need to feed more people grows, agricultural transformation
will require persistence from leaders like you in driving change and
capitalizing on public- and private-sector expertise,” Pence said.
The Vice-President described
Adesina’s devotion to the cause of fighting global hunger as admirable, and
deeply needed, and on behalf of President Donald Trump, extended heartfelt
congratulations.
“The United States is and remains
committed to food security, and we will continue to work with leaders like you
to find innovative ways to end global hunger,” he said.
The Purdue University Glee Club and
multiple award-winning all-female Nigerian singing group, Adunni and Nefertiti,
set the mood of the evening with their music performances followed by that of the
star act, Omawumi, a popular Nigerian vocalist, who had flown in from Lagos for
the occasion. The infectious rhythms of Adunni and Nefertiti and popular songs
of Omawumi soon moved Adesina and his wife to get up on the dance floor where
they were joined by Obasanjo.
Under President Adesina’s
leadership, the AfDB is accelerating agricultural development through its Feed
Africa Strategy (APO.af/Qs73cE) with planned investment of US $24 billion over
the next 10 years. The World Food Prize also recognizes Adesina’s work over the
past two decades with the Rockefeller Foundation, at the Alliance for a Green
Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture of
Agriculture and Rural Development.
For more on the World Food
Prize/Borlaug Dialogue events, please visit: AfDB.org/2017wfp and
WorldFoodPrize.org
For more on President Adesina as
the World Food Prize 2017 Laureate: bit.ly/2gamfWe
On Adesina as “Africa’s Norman
Borlaug”: bit.ly/2l38OJl
Photos of the ceremony:
flickr.com/photos/theworldfoodprize and flickr.com/photos/afdbgroup
#FoodPrize17
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