Akinwumi Adesina studied agricultural economics, earning a PhD before building a distinguished career in international agricultural development, including senior roles at the Rockefeller Foundation working on food security across Africa.
Adesina served as Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture, implementing significant reforms that reduced corruption in the country's fertiliser distribution system and directly connected millions of farmers to agricultural inputs through mobile technology.
In 2015, Adesina was elected President of the African Development Bank, one of the continent's most significant financial institutions, leading efforts to mobilise billions of dollars in development financing across infrastructure, agriculture and energy.
In 2017, Adesina won the World Food Prize, one of the most prestigious international honours in agricultural development, recognising his transformative work improving food security and agricultural policy across the African continent.
- Won the World Food Prize in 2017
- Elected President of the African Development Bank in 2015
- Implemented major fertiliser distribution reforms as Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture
- Mobilised billions of dollars in development financing across Africa
- Connected millions of farmers to agricultural inputs through mobile technology reforms
- Technical expertise can be translated into large-scale policy reform. His agricultural economics background directly informed his transformative ministerial reforms.
- Anti-corruption reform can dramatically improve development outcomes. His fertiliser distribution reforms reduced corruption while reaching millions of farmers.
- Technology can solve longstanding development challenges at scale. His use of mobile technology directly connected farmers to agricultural inputs.
- International recognition validates significant development achievement. His World Food Prize confirmed his transformative impact on African food security.