Akinwunmi Adesina, says serving as president of the African Development Bank is the greatest honour of his life.

Adesina said this at a breakfast meeting held for the media to declare open the AfDB 2025 Annual Meetings in Abidjan.

“It has been a decade of relentless purpose, of enduring passion, and of tireless service. I thank you for walking on this journey with me,’’ he said.

Mr Adesina, a Nigerian development economist and agricultural development expert became president of the bank 10 years ago.

This was after serving as Nigeria’s agric minister from 2011 to 2015, transforming the sector by attracting private sector investments as well as supporting youth and small and medium enterprises.

Mr Adesina is dedicated to transforming agriculture in Africa from a subsistence activity to a viable business that attracts investments.

He is also passionate about ending poverty, hunger and malnutrition in Africa and lifting millions of people into the middle class.

“When I was elected in 2015, I did

not have any grey hair then. Now my hair has turned several shades of grey. Grey from 10 years of unrelenting drive to push Africa forward. Grey from our tireless efforts to turn the Bank into a globally respected financial institution where it was ranked as the best multilateral financial institution in the world.

“Grey from leading the Bank to achieve the largest capital increase in its history, raising the capital of the Bank from 93 billion dollars in 2015 to 318 billion dollars today – an unprecedented achievement.

“Grey from leading the Bank to achieve the largest capital increase in its history, raising the capital of the Bank from 93 billion dollars in 2015 to 318 billion dollars today – an unprecedented achievement,” Mr Adesina explained.

The economist added, “Grey from leading the Bank to achieve the highest replenishment of the African Development Fund in the history of the Fund, as we successfully raised 8.9 billion dollars for its 16th replenishment.’

“Grey from working side by side with my staff to lead on global financial innovations such as the launch of hybrid capital instruments and synthetic securitization, becoming the first ever multilateral financial institution to do so globally.”

(NAN)