By Samuel J. Samuel
I have always believed that it is not difficult to discover one’s purpose in life. One’s purpose lies in one’s passion! Whatever you find yourself doing with passion, based on your gift or talent, there lies in your purpose. In other words, your unique purpose in life lies within the sphere of your passion.
However, preparation must meet expectation for a purposeful life to be attained. Truly, the preparation that met expectation coupled with the grace and favour of providence has brought Akinwunmi this far.
I do not think his parents would have believed it if they were told that a day would come where their poor boy would stand before great world leaders to address them.
But it happened! Besides previous world and African conferences, Akinwunmi gave a keynote address at the 2019 Sunhak Peace Prize Laureate World Peace Summit, Seoul, South Korea.
Adesina, who grew up from a poor farming background to become a renowned expert and policy-maker in sustainable agricultural science, would not have attained such global recognition but for his unquenchable passion for African poor population, particularly smallholder farmers.
There is no doubt that Adesina’s heartbeat is to serve the people of Africa. The zeal to lead agricultural innovation and economic growth of Africa has always reflected in his leadership style across every leadership position has occupied hitherto.
While he was serving as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (2010-2015), his ingenuity and exceptional leading revolutionised the Nigeria agriculture sector.
Adesina’s initiative and agricultural reform birthed the Electronic Wallet System for smallholder farmers, great access to credit facilities and the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) which resulted in transparency in the fertiliser and seed sector.
Over 6 million farmers benefitted from the programme while it enhanced food security for 30 million people in rural farm households. Just as Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, said “A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better”, Adesina, as an agricultural economist, has always been driven by the passion to generate wealth for millions of rural and poor African farmers.
When Adesina was elected the President of African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2015, he and his team embarked on an aggressive mission to fast track Africa’s development. The Bank developed a High 5s priorities blueprint designed to Light Up and Power Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialise Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the quality of life of the people of Africa.
The Bank’s High 5s initiatives recorded remarkable success that spread across the continent. In 2018, the team was able to connect 4.5 million to better electricity grids through the “Light Up and Power Africa” High 5 initiative.
Also, under the “Feed Africa” High 5, about 19 million people gained access to improved agricultural technologies while “Industrialise Africa” High 5 provided 1.1 million people the opportunity to benefit from private sector investment projects.
Similarly, through “Integrate Africa” High 5 initiative, about 14 million people gained access to better transport services while 8 million people benefitted from improved access to water and sanitation under “Improve the Quality of Life” High5.
In 2019, Adesina was honoured with the African of the Year Award organised by the All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA™) in recognition of his excellent leadership and the innovation of the Africa Investment Forum.
Being driven with the passion to use agricultural business and finance innovations to turn Nigerian and African farmers and agribusinesses into millionaires and billionaires, he dedicated the award to Africa’s farmers and the new young business entrepreneurs.
Read Also: Buhari greets AfDB President, Adesina at 60
Akinwunmi strongly believes that the future millionaires and billionaires of Africa will come out of agriculture. The evidence of his passion to use agricultural business and finance innovations to turn Nigerian and African farmers and agribusinesses into millionaires and billionaires is unequivocal.
Robin S. Sharma, a Canadian writer, said: “Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers.”
There is no doubt that Adesina’s life has impacted, influenced and inspired millions of people not only in Africa, but also across the globe to attain their desired dreams. Just as Henry Kissinger, an American diplomat, said that “The task of the leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been”, Akinwunmi’s leadership has truly lifted millions of smallholder farmers from obscurity into limelight in modernised agribusiness.
At the 2006 “Africa Fertilizer Summit,” he was able to gather the support of the participants for eradication of hunger in Africa by 2030 through the “Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for the African Green Revolution.”
While felicitating Akinwunmi on his 60th birthday, President Muhammadu Buhari commended Akinwumi for demonstrating “Uncommon leadership qualities of modesty and foresight in tackling the challenges of hunger and poverty in Africa”.
The President also added that Akinwumi has exuded unusual positive energy in devising policies, deploying resources, and rallying leaders to improve Africa’s human development index.
Likewise, other global leaders, commented that “Adesina has totally revolutionised agriculture into a business, and banks and private investors are all moving to the agriculture sector.
He has made agriculture very exciting, turning it into Nigeria’s new oil” He was appointed by the former UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, as one of the 17 global leaders to help the world achieve the Millennium Goals. Bill Gates called Adesina’s policies and reforms of agriculture “extraordinary”.
It is on record that Adesina worked with various banks and international NGOs in order to create an innovative financing system that provides credit facilities to small farmers and thereby lifts them out of poverty.
Little wonder he is often referred to as “Africa’s leading development entrepreneur” In 2018, Adesina was honoured with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Africa of Liberia. Truly, he is an African star!
So, as I join Nigerians and world leaders in celebrating this unique icon on his 60th birthday, it is my heartfelt prayer that the Lord who has kept him till date will also continue to keep him and cause him to fulfil his purpose and reach a rich fulfilment in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
May the Lord continue to supply the grace, strength and wisdom for this star to continue shining his light on African farmers and world at large.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my big bros.
- Samuel his CEO/Chairman, Origin Tech Group
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