2023: Run for Presidency, group begs Akinwumi Adesina

A notable group, the Prudent Youth Association of Nigeria (PYAN) has urged the president of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, to run for the office of Nigeria President in 2023.

“We are beckoning on him to consider this gesture from Nigeria youths, urging him to run for the office of the president in 2023,” the group, a civil society organisation, said in a statement by its spokesperson, Haruna Awode.

The call comes as the run up to the Nigerian general elections in 2023 draw near. Already, old and new political warhorses, including former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Ebonyi and Kogi governors Dave Umahi and Yahaya Bello, amongst others, have all signalled their interests in Nigeria’s presidency in 2023.

Nonetheless, PYAN described Mr Adesina as a Nigerian with outstanding qualities needed at the critical moment to address the myriad of problems confronting Nigeria as a nation.

It said that as a former minister of Agriculture and incumbent two-term – President of AfDB, given his antecedents, Mr Adesina could be trusted to successfully run the affairs of Nigeria.

“At the moment, Nigeria does not just need people with political exposure to lead as president; the exalted office should be occupied by a young, vibrant, intellectual with experience and focused mind.”

The group said that as a former Minister of Agriculture and the incumbent president of AfDB, had not disappointed or failed the nation, especially the youths.

“On our part, we will engage with all stakeholders, including youths and women organisations, CSOs, and people at the grassroots, to mobilise support for Adesina to come and reform Nigeria for the benefit of our nation and future generation. “We are hopeful that he will consider this as a beckon on him not just to further serve Nigeria but humanity in general because if Nigeria is reformed the effect on other countries of the world will be unimaginable,” it added.

Named Forbes African Man of the Year for his reform of Nigerian agriculture, Adesina was the Nigerian Agriculture Minister from 2010 to 2015. Adesina introduced more transparency into the fertiliser supply chain. He also said that he would give away mobile phones to farmers but this proved too difficult. One of the reasons was the lack of a mobile network in country areas.

In 2010, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appointed him as one of 17 global leaders to spearhead the Millennium Development Goals.

On 28 May 2015, Adesina was elected the presumptive President of the African Development Bank. He began his tenure of the office on 1 September 2015.

In September 2016, Adesina was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to serve as member of the Lead Group of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement.

In 2017, he was awarded 2017 World Food Priee. On 27 August 2020, Adesina was re-elected as President of the Africa Development Bank for a second term of five years