By Milcah Tanimu
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has been conferred with the prestigious 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership Award.
Adesina, a former Minister of Agriculture from 2011 to 2015, was announced as the recipient of the esteemed award during the 2024 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership Award ceremony held at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The event witnessed the presence of distinguished personalities including former heads of state, state governors, royal fathers, and other notable Nigerians.
Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Retd.), lauded Adesina as a brilliant individual who epitomizes the finest qualities of Nigeria. Gowon described him as hardworking, diligent, brilliant, forward-looking, and deeply patriotic.
Similarly, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, commended the selection of Adesina as the fourth recipient of the prestigious award, established in honor of the late Obafemi Awolowo. Anyaoku highlighted Awolowo’s vision for Nigeria’s progress and unity through careful management of diversity and true federalism.
Previous recipients of the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership Award include Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka; former South African President, Thabo Mbeki; and legal luminary, Aare Afe Babalola.
The event was graced by notable personalities such as former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, with President Bola Tinubu represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Among the serving governors present were Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Alex Otti (Abia), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Usman Ododo (Kogi), and Mohammed Bago (Niger), among others.
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