Cultivating Africa’s Future: Adesina’s Enduring Legacy at the AfDB

By Ajong Mbapndah L*

In an eight‑year tenure defined by bold reforms, massive resource mobilization, and a relentless focus on agriculture and industrialization, Akinwumi Adesina transformed the African Development Bank (AfDB) into a more dynamic, influential institution on the global stage. Under his leadership, the Bank launched signature initiatives such as the Feed Africa Strategy and Desert to Power program and championed a recalibration of Africa’s GDP to include its vast natural capital, efforts that collectively mobilized billions for development projects.

His tenure also saw unprecedented recognition, from being named “African of the Decade” to receiving Kenya’s highest national honour, reflecting widespread acclaim from peers and governments. Yet his presidency was not without controversy, as he weathered allegations of procedural impropriety and staff dissent, criticisms he has consistently denied but which underscore the complex legacy he leaves behind. This article explores Adesina’s top successes, the accolades and criticisms he faced, and the political support that underpinned his rise from Nigerian Agriculture Minister to one of Africa’s most prominent development financiers.

 Modernizing the African Development Bank

When Dr. Adesina assumed the AfDB presidency on 1 September 2015, he inherited an institution seen as cautious and risk‑averse. He immediately prioritized operational decentralization, bringing decision‑making closer to regional offices to improve project turnaround times and responsiveness to national priorities. Under his watch, the Bank’s private sector operations doubled, with a sharpened risk appetite that saw a surge in guarantees and equity investments tailored to catalyze local business growth.

Simultaneously, he strengthened the Bank’s balance sheet through “Africa50” and strategic capital increases, ensuring the AfDB could leverage $1 of its capital to mobilize $3 from external investors. By the end of his term, the AfDB was widely regarded as a more agile, market‑driven institution capable of delivering large‑scale projects faster than ever before.

 Signature Initiatives and Top Successes

Among Adesina’s most celebrated programs is the Feed Africa Strategy, aimed at making the continent self‑sufficient in food production by 2025. This initiative has mobilized over $20 billion in investments for sustainable agriculture, benefiting millions of smallholder farmers with improved inputs and storage facilities. Another flagship program, Desert to Power, targets the Sahel region by developing 10 gigawatts of solar power capacity, thereby electrifying more than 250 million people across 11 countries.

In April 2025, Adesina announced the mobilization of $2.2 billion for agricultural processing zones in 28 Nigerian states, a project designed to reduce post‑harvest losses and strengthen value chains. He also championed the Africa Medical Supplies Platform during the COVID‑19 pandemic, coordinating bulk procurement of critical goods and lowering prices by up to 40 per cent for member countries. Finally, his push for the inclusion of natural capital in GDP calculations—a campaign adopted by African ministers at G20 meetings—has the potential to unlock more favourable debt ratios and attract long‑term financing.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Adesina’s dynamic leadership earned him a cascade of prestigious awards. In June 2017, he was awarded the World Food Prize, often dubbed the “Nobel Prize for Agriculture”—in recognition of his transformative work in Nigeria and across Africa. That same year, he received the Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award for Child Nutrition and the Borlaug CAST Communication Award for his advocacy on agricultural science.

In 2019, readers of African Leadership Magazine named him “African of the Year,” and in late 2024 he was voted the inaugural “African of the Decade” at the All‑Africa Business Leaders Awards in Rabat, Morocco. Most recently, in March 2025, Kenya’s President William Ruto conferred upon him the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart, the country’s highest national honour, applauding his passion for Kenya’s economic development. He has also been recognized by Nigeria as the Commander of the Order of the Niger and holds multiple honorary degrees from global universities.

 Perception Among African Leaders

Across the continent, heads of state and government ministers lauded Adesina’s vision for a self‑reliant Africa. At the February 2025 African Union Summit, leaders from over 30 countries paid tribute to his decade‑long impact, with UN Secretary‑General António Guterres calling for global financial reforms to match the momentum he set at the AfDB. Zimbabwe’s President praised his “exceptional leadership” that bridged private sector capital with public policy, noting the spillover benefits for regional integration.

In Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari credited Adesina’s policy coherence with attracting over $5.6 billion in private investments to the agricultural sector during his ministerial tenure, a foundation that bolstered his AfDB credentials. Such endorsements underscored the widespread political support that enabled Adesina to pursue ambitious reforms.

Critiques and Controversies

Despite broad praise, Adesina’s presidency faced its share of critics. In 2020, a group of anonymous AfDB staff levelled 16 allegations of procedural irregularities against him, prompting an independent integrity investigation—Adesina was ultimately cleared, but the episode exposed tensions around Bank governance and staff inclusion. Critics also argued that his high‑profile global engagements risked diverting attention from grassroots implementation, and some civil society groups questioned the social safeguards on large infrastructure projects.

Furthermore, while his push to end opaque resource‑backed loans was lauded by many, detractors in borrowing nations feared it could limit access to urgent financing in the short term. Nevertheless, few disputed the overall positive impact of his tenure, even as discussions continue on strengthening institutional transparency.

Background and Political Support

Before ascending to the AfDB helm, Akinwumi Adesina served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture from 2010 to 2015, where he revolutionized the sector by introducing e‑voucher systems for fertilizer subsidies and mobile‑based farmer registration, reducing corruption and expanding outreach to over 6 million farmers. His rapid rise owed much to the backing of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who in 2020 publicly urged African heads of state to defend Adesina amid integrity probes, emphasizing his track record of results. Similarly, President Goodluck Jonathan first nominated him for the AfDB presidency in 2015, and President Buhari’s administration provided “incredible support” during his re‑election campaign in 2020, underscoring a rare bipartisan consensus on his leadership.

As Akinwumi Adesina prepares to step down in September 2025, he leaves behind an AfDB markedly stronger, more respected, and deeply engaged in Africa’s core development challenges. His initiatives in agriculture and energy, efforts to mobilize private capital, and global advocacy for financial reforms have set new benchmarks for continental development. While debates over governance and equity endure, Adesina’s legacy is characterized by tangible gains—in livelihoods, infrastructure, and institutional capacity—that will shape African development finance for years to come. His tenure stands as a testament to the impact of visionary leadership backed by strategic political support.

*Culled From May Issue of PAV Magazine