Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture has been named Forbes African Person of the Year. He was bestowed the award because of his remarkable reforms in Nigeria’s agriculture sector.
Akinwunmi beat Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, Jim Ovia, Chairman of the Zenith Bank Group, Strive Masiyiwa, founder of Global Telecoms group and South African mining magnate, Patrice Motsepe.
Adesina’s initiatives in agriculture have empowered about six million farmers across Nigeria to embrace modern day agriculture.
The Minister can be described as the defender of African farmers, relentless in unlocking opportunities for farmers and changing Africa’s narrative on agriculture to wealth creation, away from poverty reduction.
“I am truly honoured and humbled by this prestigious award, which I dedicate to Africa’s farmers and the new cadre of young business entrepreneurs who have discovered the hidden gem for sustainable wealth creation on our continent – the 2013 Africa's Person of the Year commented on his victory.
The Minister’s impact in the agriculture sector within two years in office turned agriculture away from being a development program into a business activity generating wealth for millions of farmers.
His Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) ended four decades of corruption in the fertilizer sector, eliminating the middlemen and scaling up food production by nine million metric tonnes in the first year -almost half of the 2015 production target.
To enhance the process, he introduced Electronic Wallet System which allows small holder farmers to receive electronic vouchers for subsidized seeds and fertilizers directly on their mobile phones and enable them to pay for farm inputs from private sector agricultural input dealers.
The system has reached over 6 million farmers and enhanced food security for 30 million persons in rural farm households.
Electronic Wallet System initiative have been lauded in many quarters with several countries from Africa, Brazil, India and China now expressing interest in emulating the electronic wallet system.
In recognition of Nigeria’s reforms and progress, global and domestic investors have signed over $4 billion of executed letters of investments to boost Nigeria’s agriculture.
The World Bank, African Development Bank and other global development finance institutions have put up over USD 2 billion in support of his bold initiatives.
His Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) ended four decades of corruption in the fertilizer sector, eliminating the middlemen and scaling up food production by nine million metric tonnes in the first year -almost half of the 2015 production target.
To enhance the process, he introduced Electronic Wallet System which allows small holder farmers to receive electronic vouchers for subsidized seeds and fertilizers directly on their mobile phones and enable them to pay for farm inputs from private sector agricultural input dealers.
The system has reached over 6 million farmers and enhanced food security for 30 million persons in rural farm households.
Electronic Wallet System initiative have been lauded in many quarters with several countries from Africa, Brazil, India and China now expressing interest in emulating the electronic wallet system.
In recognition of Nigeria’s reforms and progress, global and domestic investors have signed over $4 billion of executed letters of investments to boost Nigeria’s agriculture.
The World Bank, African Development Bank and other global development finance institutions have put up over USD 2 billion in support of his bold initiatives.
“My passion is using agricultural business and finance innovations to turn Nigerian and African farmers and agribusinesses into millionaires and billionaires. Nigeria must become a global powerhouse in agriculture,” he stated.
The Minister had stressed that Africa, with its huge potential, could not be ‘a museum of poverty.’
Sharing his vision for a food secured continent, Dr. Adesina said he dreams of a future where Africa’s vast savannas are revived with crops, where large commercial and smallholder farmers co-exist and both prosper. Where rail, road and port systems are improved.
The Minister for Agriculture attributed the huge achievements his ministry has made to the immense support of Nigeria’s President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
It would be noted that Dr. Akinwunmi beat Aliko Dangote, the President of Dangote Group, Jim Ovia, the Chairman of the Zenith Bank Group, Strive Masiyiwa, the founder of Global Telecoms group and South African mining magnate, Patrice Motsepe.
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Does this achievement count as a failure on Jonathan's government?
ReplyDeletecorrect guy,if the minister of education was half as smart as this guy the strike issue would have been resolved.
ReplyDeleteA plus on GEJ administration!
ReplyDeleteAdesina had a clear road map from day one and it only goes to show that change - either positive or negative, can be impacted very quickly. Stage one is increased output and mechanization, then we need to processing the harvested crops here in Nigeria and then finally maturing to a robust market for finished goods with world class packaging ( which has always been a problem). After this I am sure we will see the Cadburys, Nestle, Hershey, etc all jostling to expand their footprint in Nigeria while we in turn encourage our home grown outfits.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Sir.