Another Nigerian Awarded World Prize Laureate in 2017

At a ceremony held at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C on Monday 26^th June, 2017, another Nigerian, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, was named the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate after the renowned Professor Wole Soyinka, who won Nobel Laureate in Literature in 1986.

The incumbent President of African Development Bank (AfDB) was selected to become the 46^th recipient and the 6^th African to be honoured with the award.

Adesina was the Nigeria Minister of Agriculture under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The World Food Prize President, Amb. Kenneth Quinn, announced the new Laureate at the Hall of Laureates, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The ceremony was attended by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue and some Nigerian dignitaries.

Over a 31-year existence, the award has become known as the "Nobel Prize'' for Food and Agriculture.

Quinn described Adesina as "someone who grew out of poverty, but whose life mission is to lift up millions of people out of poverty''.  The prestigious 250,000 dollars prize is given annually to a person who has worked to advance human development by "improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world".

 According to him, nominations for the prize were submitted by organisations and prestigious individuals. He said that a Selection Committee, made of individuals from around the world, makes the final decision.

Also, Perdue, attesting to the good works of Adesina, said the new Food Prize Laureate, could fit in as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

In attendance were some past awardees, Nigeria's former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Nigeria's Acting Ambassador to the U.S. and Chargé d'Affaires, Amb. Hakeem Balogun. Others include officials of the World Food Programme, members of the Diplomatic Corps and other U.S. officials.

Since its founding in 1986, the Prize has honoured 45 individuals for their outstanding contributions to food security around the world.

The award ceremony would take place on 19^th October, 2017.

Nigeria's Chargé d'Affaires to the U.S. Hakeem Balogun and a former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, have lauded the emergence of Dr Akinwumi Adesina as the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate.  Balogun and Okonjo-Iweala said that Adesina's selection for the prestigious prize was a great honour for Nigeria.

Many achievements have been ascribed to Adesina’s deserved award ever since he was a serving minister up to his current portfolio of AfDB leadership.

The Nigerian envoy said Adesina's policies while serving as Minister, expanded Nigeria's food production and attracted over five billion dollars in private sector investments in agriculture.

Okonjo-Iweala, who served alongside Adesina, hailed the achievement of her former colleague, saying, "A proud day for Nigeria; President Akin Adesina, President of the AfDB, is announced as the recipient of the 2017 World Food Prize,"

Amb. Kenneth Quinn said Adesina won the prize "for driving change in African agriculture for over 25 years and improving food security for millions across the continent".  Quinn explained that the selection of Nigeria's former Minister of Agriculture for the prize also "reflected both his breakthrough achievements as Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria," “leading a major expansion of commercial bank lending to farmers as Vice President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and as Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria, introduced the E-Wallet system," “introducing initiatives to exponentially increase the availability of credit for smallholder farmers across the African continent and galvanized the political will to transform African agriculture."  

Also, the reforms implemented to increase food production by 21 million metric tonnes and attracted 5.6 billion dollars in private sector investments, which earn him the reputation as the 'Farmer's Minister'."  All these plus hosts of other achievements ascribed to the credit of the new Laureate, the new pride of Africa.