Agriculture minister, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has won the presidency of the African Development Bank (ADB).
Adesina, the outgoing minister of agriculture and rural development beat seven others to emerge.
They are Sufian Ahmed, Jaloul Ayed, Kordjé Bedoumra, Cristina Duarte, Samura M. W. Kamara,Thomas Z. Sakala and Birama Boubacar Sidibé .
The election was part of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the bank on May 28 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
President-elect Muhammsdu Buhari had backed Dr. Adesina’s candidacy.
According to Gen. Buhari said his support of Dr. Adesina’s candidacy was not just because he is a Nigerian, but that he also has a proven track record in a career that predates his position as Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development.”
He added that Dr. Adesina had years of experience of working in Francophone and Anglophone countries, and a passion to help eradicate poverty in Africa by reducing unemployment and inequality among African youth.