Energy Tops My Agenda For Africa – Adesina

The president-elect African Development Bank (AfDB) and former minister for Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina has said energy efficiency will top his agenda for Africa when he assumes office in September.
He said the power challenges in Africa were unacceptable because without power there can be no industrialisation,  inclusive growth, Private sector growth or agro processing.

Akinwumi who spoke at an emotion laden sent forth ceremony on Friday June 12, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture to honour him and his counterpart Minister of State, Hajia Asabe Asmau Ahmed  who was noticeably absent was optimistic that “curbing power challenges will give rise to the much needed industrialisation Africa was long due for”.

In his words ” the number one thing on my agenda for Africa is energy,the fact that Africa does not have energy is not acceptable and we cannot have industrialisation, private sector development and agro processing unless we have power”.

He said, “Africa must power itself and with that we can have industrialisation, be Green and become a global power house in food and Agriculture.”

Akinwumi in his appreciation for the support he received during the campaigns said, “I feel so proud as a Nigerian for the tremendous support I received from everybody,particularly former president  Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who nominated me and generously supported me and President Muhammadu Buhari who made several interventions and worked ceaselessly to ensure we won the elections.”

Akinwumi  said, “It is a great honour to have been called,I did not win elections I was simply given a responsibility to lead Africa to achieve Inclusive growth and I know together we will build an Africa where we have inclusive growth, prosperity, peace, stability and security and an Africa we will all be proud to call our Africa.

He assured he would not rest until poverty was eradicated on the continent through the development of power infrastructure across Africa.

For the many stakeholders who poured encomiums on the former Minister including members of the National Assembly, diplomats, youth farmers, rural farmers and cassava growers among several others, described Adesina as an outstanding personality who had not only revived the nation’s agriculture, but is set to do Africa and indeed the world proud.

Presenting a toast to the minister and his wife, Mrs Grace Adesina, former director of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) and also a former VP of the AfDB, Mrs Aruma Oteh, noted that “Akinwumi’s emergence as the President of the AfDB calls for celebration  because in the bank’s over 50 years of existence,this is the first time a Nigerian would emerge as its leader.

It would be recalled that Akinwumi Adesina emerged the AfDB president after securing 58 percent of the total votes on May 28, 2015 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and will succeed Donald Kaberuka on September  1,