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Tag: Adesina

  • Nigeria can be agricultural power house in Africa — Adesina

    Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the President African Development Bank (AfDB) says Nigeria has all it takes to be “a power house in food and agriculture” on the African continent.

    Adesina, who said this on the sidelines of the Banks’s Annual Meeting in Malabo, expressed delight that the country had introduced a lot of agricultural initiatives to boost food production.

    According to him, this will go a long way in ensuring food security in Nigeria and the continent at large.

    Adesina said that with President Muhammadu Buhari’s led Federal Government’ present focus on agriculture, it would further boost the nation’s economy.

    “I believe that agriculture is not a way of life, agriculture is a business, Nigeria must be a power house in food and agriculture.”

    According to him, this is because Nigeria is the only country like the AfDB that has a fund of its own

    “We have the African development bank, we have the African Development Fund and we have the Nigeria Trust Fund.

    Adesina said that Nigeria was a big player on the continent, especially in the area of trade.

    “If you look at the economic growth rate in Africa today, you look at West Africa, it is only about 3.3 per cent, East Africa is about 5.7 per cent and North Africa is about 4.3 per cent

    “But the 3.3 per cent part of it is because of the weight of Nigeria in terms of the economy.

    “Nigeria has always been a leader and I am sure it will continue to do so,” he said.

    The AfDB president said though the country was just coming out of recession, but that notwithstanding, he was positive the future was bright economically as Nigeria addresses critical structural problems of energy, infrastructure, and making agriculture business.

    “We are just putting in about over 230 million dollars in the north of Nigeria with the North East reconstruction effort, so as to build more hospitals, construct more roads and support a lot of displaced people that are in that particular area, it is part of what they call the Buhari plan.

    “And the other thing that we are also doing is that we have provided 200 million dollars to help to deal with the liquidity causing problem that the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET) company has, so that the electricity system in Nigeria can work.”

    According to him, these initiatives will also go a long way in creating jobs for Nigerians.

  • Adeshina blasts Nigerians for ‘twisting’ Buhari’s comments on Gaddafi

    Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s comments on former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, on the killings by herdsmen in Nigeria were misinterpreted to score cheap political goals.

    Buhari had on Wednesday in London told Archbishop Justin Welby that the farmers/herdsmen clashes were made worse by the influx of armed gunmen from the Sahel region in Nigeria and other parts of West African sub-region.

    The president was quoted at the meeting as saying: “The problem is even older than us. It has always been there, but now made worse by the influx of armed gunmen from the Sahel region into different parts of the West African sub-region. These gunmen were trained and armed by Muammar Gadaffi of Libya.

    “When he was killed, the gunmen escaped with their arms. We encountered some of them fighting with Boko Haram. Herdsmen that we used to know carried only sticks and maybe a cutlass to clear the way, but these ones now carry sophisticated weapons.

    “The problem is not religious, but sociological and economic. But we are working on solutions.’’

    The presidential aide, however, claimed the social media and some traditional media outfits misinterpreted the comments for political reasons.

    He said: “Since President Muhammadu Buhari met with the Archbishop of Canterbury in London on Wednesday, and spoke on the likely impact of gunmen trained by former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, on the killings by herdsmen in Nigeria, some people have virtually flown off the handle, ululating as if wailing was going out of fashion.

    “They twisted the meaning of Mr President’s words (yes, some people twist everything, even the words of God; 2 Peter: 3, 15,16). They claimed he was blaming Gaddafi, long dead, for the killings in Nigeria.

    “But let’s see the vacuousness and intellectual laziness in the twist they have given what President Buhari said, out of sheer malice and evil hearts. Sadly, even a Senator was involved in the sickening display of poisonous heart.

    “That’s what you get when small minds get into high places.’’

  • AfDB hits highest annual disbursement of $7.67bn in 2017 – Adesina

    The President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said that the Bank, 2017, achieved its highest annual disbursement ever of 7.67 billion dollars on supports.

    Adesina said this in a statement made available to our reporter on Thursday in Abuja.

    He said that the Bank would continue to support African countries in ensuring stronger macroeconomic policies.

    “The Bank achieved its highest annual disbursement ever in its history, at 7.67 billion dollars.

    “Our investment in the energy sector in 2017 covered 31 operations in 23 countries and totaled 1.39 billion dollars, representing a 30 per cent increase over 2016.

    ” In 2017, the Bank maintained its AAA rating with stable outlook by all four global rating agencies.

    “The Bank’s AAA stable outlook rating is underpinned by sound financial and risk management policies, excellent liquidity and strong shareholder support,” Adesina said.

    He said that the Bank was working hard to be more efficient and become impact driven organisation; one that accelerated Africa’s development, holding itself to a higher standard of performance.

    The president said that it was only when the Bank became performance driven that it could meet Africa’s expectations.

    Adesina assured that the Bank intended to score a lot more development goals for Africa, adding that there was need for greater alignment, performance and accountability for results.

    He said that the Bank launched its largest bond transaction with 2.5 billion dollars three-year global benchmark followed by its largest ever five-year global benchmark for 2 billion dollars.

    According to him, the Bank continues to grow its income solidly, reversing its declining income when he started two years ago.

    He said that the net operating income of the Bank had declined from 589.3 million dollars in 2014 to 492.7 million dollars in 2015, when he took over, adding that ever since there had been a rapid turnaround.

    “In 2016, the net operating income rose to 556.6 million dollars and shot up to 855 million dollars in 2017, an increase of almost 54 per cent over 2016.

    ” To put things in context, this is also a 73 per cent increase over where we were in 2015.

    “The Bank is mobilising more resources for Africa. In 2017, we mobilised 9.73 billion dollars from the capital markets for African countries including 300 million dollars from the enhanced private sector facility for Africa.

    “I am delighted that in 2017, the Bank helped leverage 6 billion dollars for the landmark Japan-Africa Energy Financing Facility.

    “This will help accelerate efforts to light up and power Africa,” Adesina said.

    He said that the Bank was doing a lot on “Light Up and Power Africa agenda”, adding that in 2017 it invested 1.39 billion dollars.

    He added that the aim was to improve access to electricity to help generate an additional 1,400 MW of power and connect 3.8 million persons to electricity.

    On renewable engergy, the president said that the Bank was leading, adding that when he assumed office, the share of renewable energy in the Bank total power portfolio was just 14 per cent.

    “However, we increased that to 74 per cent in 2016 and in 2017; we achieved a record-breaking 100 per cent of our new lending in renewable energy.

    He said that with access to more funding, “we hope to provide electricity to an unprecedented 29.3 million Africans between 2018-2020”.

    The president said that the Bank was spearheading the development of the desert to power initiative to harness electricity from the sun all across the Sahel.

    He said that “our goal is to support the generation of 10,000 MW of power, connect 250 million persons to electricity, of which 75 million people will be through off-grid systems.

    “Africa needs to promote green growth. We are extremely conscious of our climate and environmental responsibilities and leadership role.

    Adesina said that the Bank would be tripling its climate finance to 40 per cent of its portfolio by 2020.

    On agriculture, he said that the Bank in 2017, invested 1.16 billion dollars in the sector – the highest ever in the Bank’s history.

    It also launched Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), a one-billion dollar initiative to take agriculture technologies to scale for millions of farmers.

    Adesina said that with adequate resources, between 2018-2020, the Bank expected to provide 29.2 million Africans with access to electricity.

    He added that the bank’s Integrate Africa High 5 would provide 50 million Africans with improved access to transport.

    Likewise, the Bank’s High 5 on Industrialising Africa would enable seven million people to benefit from investment projects.

    He added that High 5, on improving the quality of life would also provide 36.8 million persons with improved access to water and sanitation.

    Adesina said that the support of all shareholders was crucial for the general capital increase of the Bank.

    He said that the Bank would do more for Africa and “we are working extremely hard to revamp the Bank and put it in a much stronger position, with more highly capable staff and institutional capacity to deliver more, better and faster support.

    ” Our ability to deliver in the past and now is a good indication that you can depend on us to deliver more in the future.

  • President Buhari is healthy to seek re-election in 2019 – Adesina

    Presidential Spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, says President Muhammadu Buhari is presently in a better state of health than in 2015, to seek re-election in the 2019 general elections.

    Adesina said this while speaking with State House correspondents in Abuja on Sunday.

    He said though the president was yet to decide on whether to re-contest or not, his health would never be an issue as he had been improving tremendously since his return from medical vacation.

    Buhari left Nigeria on May 7, for the second round of his medical treatment in London, and returned to Abuja on Aug. 19, 2017 after a successful medical vacation.

    The presidential aide said: “yes, health is wealth. The president is not a frivolous person. If he thinks that his health cannot carry anything, he will not do it.

    “So, of course, his health will matter a lot. It will be very important but we need to give glory to God for the way he is now.

    “Every day you see the president, you see a glow about him, you see freshness about him. I think he’s even in a better state than when he came in 2015. It’s all to the glory of God.

    “So, once he assesses that his health can carry it, there’s nothing wrong if he steps into the fray. But he has the final decision.’’

    Adesina maintained that the Buhari-led administration would continue to ensure the conduct of acceptable elections in the country as the president had vowed to bequeath free and fair elections in Nigeria.

    He cited recently conducted elections across the country where the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) participated but failed to win.

    “It was not like that in the past when a certain party was in power. They won all the elections that held in states.

    “But you saw Anambra. Just this weekend, you saw a senatorial election there. Some months ago in November, you saw the governorship election.

    “If APC had wanted to overrun Anambra using federal might, it would have done that and it would win the election.

    “Election was held in Bayelsa under this administration, APC didn’t do it. Ondo, APC won fair and square. Kogi, it won fair and square. Where APC wins, it wins. Where it loses, it loses.

    “That’s the attitude of the president. Your party doesn’t have to win by hook or crook,’’ he added.

    On social media report that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had been appointed as Director-General for President Buhari’s campaign organisation, the presidential aide described such report as mere rumour.

    He said the president had not decided to run for re-election as the whistle had not been blown for such activities by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He said: “well, me I believe that things like Director-General will come when you have become a candidate. If the president steps into the fray now, he’s an aspirant just like any other aspirant.

    “Having a Director-General comes when you become a candidate of the party.’’

    On whether Buhari will embrace the Nelson Mandela option of four-year single term, Adesina said it was the constitutional right of the President to run or not to run.

    “Of course, this is a democracy. People will always have a right to their opinion. You know one thing about democracy is that there is multiplicity of opinion.

    “So, those who believe in the Mandela option, it is their right. And it is also the right of the president to run or not to run. So, you don’t abridge the right of anybody under a democracy.

    “You cannot start a race until the whistle is blown. So, when he blows the whistle and say ‘yes, this is my ambition,’ then, the race starts.’’

     

  • Adesina formally receives 2017 WFP award, pledges to spend $250,000 prize money on agriculture

    President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina on Thursday formally received the 2017 World Food Prize (WFP) Laureate award in the United States.

    Adesina was conferred with the laureate in Des Moines, U. S. during which he committed the 250,000 dollars cash prize to set up a fund for financing African youths in agriculture.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Adesina was announced as winner of the global feat by the WFP for his dogged determination and practical commitment to boosting agriculture and food supply chain both as Minister of Agriculture and President of AfDB.

    Adesina, a former Minister of Agriculture under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan commended his staff for the shared passion to feed Africa.

    He also expressed gratitude to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo for nominating him as minister.

    Adesina also thanked former President Goodluck Jonathan for giving him the opportunity of his life to serve his country, Nigeria, as a minister.

    He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his strong support to achieve the feat.

    “There wouldn’t be any rest for me until Africa feeds itself and for that we need the youth.

    “And so even though I don’t have the cash in my hand, I hereby commit my 250,000 dollars as a cash prize for the WFP award to set up a fund fully dedicated to providing financing for the youth of Africa in agriculture to feed Africa.

    “A day is coming very soon when the barns of Africa will be filled and all her children will be well fed, when millions of farmers will be able to send their kids to school.

    “Then you will hear a new song across Africa; thank God our lives are better for us,’’Adesina said.

    The Governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds, who officially declared Adesina as the 2017 laureate winner of the WFP, said he was a man who grew out of poverty to create wealth.

    Reynolds said that the laureate commitment and dedication in agriculture had impacted on lives of many, not only in Africa but around the world.

     

  • World Food Prize: Buhari hails Adesina, says ‘We’re proud of you’

    President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria remains proud of its former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, for the winning the 2017 World Food Prize.

    Adesina, who is the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), will today be presented with the $250,000 prize and Laureate sculpture at a ceremony in the United States.

    The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Buhari stated this in a video message to the AfDB President.

    The presidential aide, in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, quoted President Buhari as saying: “I received with delight the cheery news of your award as 2017 World Food Prize Laureate.

    “Certainly this did not come to me and many Nigerians as a surprise, given your antecedents and contributions to the development of agriculture across the African continent.

    “We are very proud of you.

    “According to the World Food Prize Foundation, you won the prize for driving change in African agriculture for over 25 years and improving food security for millions across the continent.

    “Your choice as the winner of the World Food Prize is a clear recognition and appreciation of your long-standing contributions, reflected in your several roles and activities which promote social economic development.

    “By dint of hard work, persistence, diligent efforts and God’s sufficient grace, you have risen above many limitations to emerge as a notable figure and a true champion.

    “Your life story mirrors the resilience of the African spirit and doggedness for which Nigerians are well known.

    “On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, I congratulate you and rejoice with you, your family and the AfDB family on this well-deserved honour.

    “Congratulations!’’

    Prior to serving as Nigerian Minister of Agriculture from 2010 to 2015, Adesina was a senior economist at West African Rice Development Association (WARDA) in Bouaké, Ivoary Coast, from 1990 to 1995.

    Adesina was named Forbes African Man of the Year for his reform of Nigerian agriculture.

    He introduced more transparency into the fertiliser supply chain through the popular E-Wallet system of fertilizer distribution in Nigeria.

    The AfDB President had also worked at the Rockefeller Foundation as a senior scientist in 1988, and from 1999 to 2003, represented the Foundation in southern Africa.

    The former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, appointed Adesina as one of 17 global leaders to spearhead the defunct Millennium Development Goals.

  • Mind restructure: Soyinka blasts Buhari’s aide, Adesina, says ‘stop trivializing issues’

    …backs calls for restructuring, state police

    Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has lashed out at people trivializing calls for national restructuring to just ‘restructuring of the mind.’

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that there have been mounting calls by eminent Nigerians for the restructuring of the nation especially now when various ethnic groups in the country are beginning to demand for their independence.

    Recall that in a special piece titled ‘Wanted: Restructuring of the mind’ published on TheNewsGuru.com on Saturday, Senior Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said what Nigerians need at this time is restructuring of the mind, not the country.

    In his words: “The sing-song in the country today is restructuring of the polity. We want more states. We want a return to regional structure. We want a revision of the revenue allocation formula. We want six vice presidents, one from each geo-political zone. We want those zones to be the federating units, rather than the states. And so on, and so forth.

    “In fact, so loud is the cacophony of voices over restructuring that if you ask 100 people what they mean, they give you 100 different explanations. But as a country, I believe we will get there someday. And soon.

    “However, is political restructuring the most urgent thing Nigeria needs now? I don’t think so. For me, what is more urgent is the restructuring of the Nigerian mind. A mind that sees the country as one, that believes that we have a future and a hope, that believes that we are one people under God. But what we see now is ruinous for any country. It is hemlock, bound to poison the entire polity, and send it to a premature perdition,” Adesina noted.

    Reacting to this, respected literary icon, Soyinka, who spoke on Monday in Lagos at an event, said every Nigerian knows what restructuring is all about, whether it is called reconfiguring, return to status quo, or reformulating the protocols of association.

    In Soyinka’s words: “My own position is that people shouldn’t allow themselves be put up by those who try to cheat on the expression, ‘restructuring.’ It doesn’t matter by what name you call it. We all know that this nation was deconstructed and what we live in right now, as a nation, is not allowing structuring that expresses the true will of Nigerians,” he said.

    Speaking further, the Nobel laureate noted: “People go to churches and mosques for their minds to be restructured. Restructuring the mind is not the issue; nobody is saying restructuring the mind should not be undertaken; anybody who is involved in examination already engages in mental and or attitudinal reconstruction.

    “So people should not try to substitute one for another. I find it very dishonest and cheap, trivialising the issue when people said it is the mind, which needs to be restructured. Who is denying that? So, why bring it up? We’re talking about the protocol of the association of the constitutive part of the nation. We’re talking about decentralisation, that is, another word. This country is over-centralised and that has been the bugbear of development, even of issues like security.

    “Even if it is one state, that state has the right to say, listen people, let us restructure this state; the protocols that went into the making of this state are no longer viable or have been distorted along the way or have been abandoned and we want to go back to the original set of protocols that created what we call his national entity. You can say you want to reinvent the wheels completely or you want to go back to the original protocols of association,” he added.

    He noted that an average citizen feels less secured today than a few years ago, yet “when people talk about state police, there are reasons for it. When they talk about bringing policing right down to the community level, they know what they are talking about; this is also part of restructuring or reconfiguration of the articles of association.”

    Asked to comment on the clamour for a second term in office for President Buhari, by his aides and supporters, Soyinka said he was shocked by the move just midway into the president’s administration.

    “Why are we talking about second term, for heaven’s sake? I don’t understand this; we have hardly gone half-way or barely gone half-way and people are already talking about positions. I refuse to be part of that discussion and absolutely refuse to be part of that discussion.”

  • No law says Buhari should hold FEC meeting every week – Adesina

    Special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, yesterday said there is nowhere in the Nigerian law which states that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting must be held every week.

    Recall TheNewsGuru.com had earlier published that Buhari cancelled the FEC meeting he was supposed to hold for this week .

    The FEC meeting cancellation generated heavy criticisms of the presidency and was also debated upon by the general public.

    Buhari’s spokesman, Adesina, however, defended his superior during a Channels TV programme, Politics Today, he said the president’s decision to cancel FEC meeting should not be a cause for concern.

    “There is no law that says the federal executive council meeting should hold every week. There is no law that says it must be weekly. Under a past administration, it used to hold once every two weeks,” he said.

    “So, there is no law that says it should hold every Wednesday. It depends on what you have on the agenda to discuss. The president is the chairman of that meeting. So, he has the discretion to hold or not to hold (the meeting).

    “The fact that FEC did not hold in one week does not mean anything significant because the president has the discretion to hold or not to hold FEC (meetings).”

    Adesina also dismissed rumours that the president had not recovered, saying though Buhari is working from his residence, the president is strong enough to perform his duties.

    Asked by Seun Okinbaloye, the anchor of the TV show if the cancellation of Wednesday’s meeting meant that FEC would no longer be meeting weekly, he responded: “That is not correct. It did not hold every week; when this administration began, it did not hold every week. And right from then, it had been understood that the FEC would hold as often as there are things to discuss.”

  • President ‘Okechukwu’ Buhari will meet all needs of South East – Adesina

    Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina has assured the people of Southeastern Nigeria that President Muhammadu ‘Okechukwu’ Buhari will meet all the demands of the region.

    Adesina made the revelation while addressing a coalition of south-east youth visited the villa to declare support for Buhari, on Tuesday, Adesina said the region would get its fair share from the government.

    He furthered, “The fact that a coalition from the south-east region has come to mount this solidarity rally for him is very significant because some mischief makers always say that the south-east region is not with the president, that is not true,” he said.

    “It was in the south-east region that he was given the name Okechukwu during the campaign, it was in the south-east in Abia precisely that Eze Ikot Nne gave him a traditional title. So, we know that every part of this country approves the leadership of President Muhammadu Okechukwu Buhari.

    “Last week, youth from south-south region were here to also show their solidarity with him. This gives us confidence that no matter what anybody does, no matter the antics of people who plot mischief, Nigeria will remain one.”

    Adesina said the president would do everything within his power to keep the country as one.

    “You must have heard our president yesterday (Monday) in his nationwide address when he said whatever it takes Nigeria will be kept together. And I tell you, whatever it takes this president he will keep the country together,” he said.

    “Therefore, anybody who is planning something else should know that it’s just a mere waste of time, is like beating a dead horse which is share waste of energy. Nigeria will remain as one, President Muhammadu Buhari will keep the country together.

    “And I also want to promise on his behalf that the southeast will get its due during the time of President Muhammadu Okechukwu Buhari. The roads in the region will be fixed, the second Niger Bridge will be done, everything, infrastructure, positions, offices, all that the centre needs to do for the region, the south east region will get its own fair share. Thank you very much God be with you all.”

  • Buhari now completely mended – Presidency

    The presidency has again assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari is back on his feet, while insisting that he [Buhari] has been fully mended and only waiting for his London doctor’s order to take a trip back to the country.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina who made the disclosure while featuring on Channels TV’s Politics Today, said Mr. President has fully recovered and will be back in Nigeria soon.

    “The president I saw was sharp, smart, lucid and looks almost completely mended, he has remarkably changed” He added.

    Buhari now completed mended- Femi Adeshina #TheNewsGuru #TNG

    A post shared by Media/News Company (@thenewsgurung) on

    When asked by the TV host, Seun Okinbaloye, if Buhari is fit to travel for six hours back to Nigeria from London, Adesina answered, “he is a man of tremendous energy and if a man was ill and has mended, why not!”

    Queried if the President is worried that he can’t be treated in Nigeria, Adesina replied, “He believes you procure treatment wherever you can get it, it is a man who is alive that can continue to lead his family, country, if he’s dead he’s dead. Anybody that needs treatment will go for it anywhere.”

    Asked who pays for Buhari’s treatment and the Nigeria’s presidential Eagle aircraft which has been parked in London for over 90 days? He said, “Does it matter, I don’t know who is paying for his treatment, it is most likely Nigerians are the ones paying… As the president, he has a right to be treated by the country. He is still paying, but don’t forget that we are not paying the official rate.

    The President’s spokesman, however, noted that he doesn’t know exactly how much the presidency is paying to station the presidential jet in London.

    Answering another question about the likelihood of Buhari running in 2019, he said, “Nobody can say President Buhari would run for president in 2019, but he has a right to. Knowing the President as a straight forward person if he wants to he come out to tell Nigerians.”

    Also, Adesina talked on the dwindling ratings of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he said ratings can be low today and it can go up another day

    He added that things have gone very bad in the country before the Buhari-led government took over, stressing that the President only came to make repairs.

    “…All I know is that the government of today is on course and before the mandate terminates in 2019, the repair would have been made”. He added.