African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina has been honoured by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) with the prestigious National Diaspora Merit Award in recognition of his selfless service and contributions as a Nigerian Diaspora Global Icon.
Other recipients in the Global Icon category are United Nations Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed, and Director General of the World Trade Organization Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
NIDCOM is an agency under Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for engaging with the Nigerian diaspora community. The award ceremony took place on Wednesday 26 July 2023 at the State House Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja during National Diaspora Day 2023 organised under the theme “Consolidating Diaspora Engagement for National Development”.
Guests included Bank Group Chief Economist and Vice President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management Professor Kevin Chika Urama, as well as Dr Adesina’s Adviser on Stakeholder Engagement, Ms Lola Visser-Mabogunje. Also present at the award ceremony in Abuja were executives and members of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) from across the world, senior government, officials, captains of industry and members of the diplomatic community.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of NIDCOM Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa said the conferment of a National Diaspora Merit Award on Dr Adesina was “in recognition of his selfless service and contributions as a Nigerian Diaspora Global Icon. Dr Dabiri-Erewa said NIDCOM appreciated Dr Adesina’s “unflinching love and contributions to national development”.
“This award is predicated upon the importance of recognising and celebrating Nigerians in the diaspora who have excelled in their various fields of endeavour and contributing to the development of Nigeria,” Dr Dabiri-Erewa said. “These exceptional Nigerians have, over time, contributed to making Nigeria a better place in their own capacities. It is thus important that the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Commission, recognises their remarkable feats,” she said.
Receiving the award on behalf of the President, the Director General of the African Development Bank Group’s Nigeria Country Department, Lamin Barrow, expressed gratitude to NIDCOM for the great recognition of President Adesina’s outstanding achievements and contributions to Nigeria and the continent’s development efforts. “The award will inspire him further to continue his unrelenting efforts for Nigeria and Africa’s transformation,” Mr Barrow said.
Dr Adesina thanked NIDCOM in a written statement. “I am pleased to accept the award with humility. I am deeply touched by this acknowledgement of my modest contributions to finance and economics and my recognition as a role model to other Nigerians in the diaspora,” Dr Adesina stated.
Often described as “Africa’s Optimist-in-Chief”, Dr Adesina is widely lauded for his visionary leadership and passion for Africa’s transformation. His bold reforms as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture turned the sector around in four years, benefiting 15 million farmers through an electronic wallet system. As President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Adesina achieved the highest-ever capital increase and led swift responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. He has received numerous accolades, including the World Food Prize and African of the Year.
More than 20 other Nigerians in the diaspora, including Emeritus Professor Augustine Esogbue, Professor Mobolaji Aluko and Professor Rotimi Jayesimi, received awards in various categories on Wednesday, including education, politics, information and communications technology, leadership development, medicine and healthcare, automobile, philanthropy and sports.
