Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, the President, African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has been confered with the Nigeria Global Brand Award of the Year 2021.
Adesina received the award in Abuja at the Annual Public Lectures and Impact Series/Awards organised by Blueprint Newspapers, a national daily Newspapers in Nigeria.
The award was confered on him for his pragmatic and purposeful leadership among other qualities.
Mr Lamin Barrow, African Development Bank’s Director-General for Nigeria Country Department received the award on behalf of Adesina.
Barrow said the conferment of the award was a testimony of the transformation brought to the bank and Africa through the implementation of the bank’s High 5 priorities.
Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, congratulated Adesina and more than 30 other Nigerians who were recognised during the ceremony.
“I believe the award will spur the recipients to continue to enhance the productivity of their respective organisations.
‘I encourage them to do more for humanity,” he said.
Mohammed Idris, the Chairman and Publisher of Blueprint Newspapers, lauded Adesina’s strides.
He said, “Adesina received the award because of his pragmatic and purposeful leadership, and the string of successes he has recorded as a national and international figure.
“The innovative way he is working as the President of African Development Bank is worthy of our recognition.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that AfDB has secured the largest ever general capital, from 93 billion dollars to 208 billion dollars since Adesina’s assumption of office in 2015.
Also, the bank’s High-5 operational strategy has benefited 335 million Africans over the last six years.
Adesina was also instrumental to the creation of the Africa Investment Forum, the continent’s premier investment marketplace.
The forum has so far attracted 110 billion dollars in investment interests in Africa since its inception in 2018.
In July, “Publish What you Fund”, a global campaign for aid and development transparency, ranked AfDB as one of the most transparent institutions in the world.
AfDB moved up from fourth place in 2020 for its sovereign operations.
Meanwhile, some of the dignitaries at the award were Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, Ministers of Information and Culture Lai Muhammed, and Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare.
Others were the Emir of Kontagora, Alh. Muhammadu Barau Mu’azu III, as well as representatives of government, the private sector and members of the Diplomatic Corps.
