June 27, 2017 from CGIAR

Figure: Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has today been recognized as the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate.

(Photo: ILRI)

A celebrated agricultural development expert, Dr Adesina held several positions at CGIAR Research Centers in his career, including the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and AfricaRice.

He has been instrumental in his ongoing support of CGIAR while in key positions at the Rockefeller Foundation, at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and as Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria – which he has used to galvanize political will to transform African agriculture – as well as in his current role as President of the African Development Bank.

“Today at CGIAR we celebrate with Dr Adesina. We recognize his long standing personal and professional commitment to agricultural development and celebrate his continued and unwavering support for the work of CGIAR,” said Elwyn Grainger-Jones, Executive Director of the CGIAR System Organisation.

Dr Adesina, originally from Nigeria, is a passionate advocate for transforming the agricultural sector in Africa. He is known for implementing bold policy reform and actively pursuing innovative agricultural investment programs.

A leading figure in agricultural research for development, Dr Adesina is passionate about how agriculture can transform lives. Most recently, he has been recognized for his role in expanding agricultural production, thwarting corruption in the Nigerian fertilizer industry and exponentially increasing the availability of credit for smallholder farmers across the African continent.

“The work of Dr Adesina reminds us that agricultural research for development is one of the most important investments of our time,” continued Elwyn Grainger-Jones. “We are proud to call him a friend and an ally of CGIAR and we are looking forward to working together to transform lives through agriculture.”

The World Food Prize is the foremost international honor recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.

In 2016, four CGIAR scientists received the World Food Prize for their groundbreaking work in developing and implementing biofortification, breeding critical vitamins and micronutrients into staple crops, thereby dramatically reducing “hidden hunger” for millions.

See http://www.cgiar.org/consortium-news/cgiar-celebrates-with-dr-akinwumi-adesina-this-years-world-food-prize-laureate/