President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday evening, named Mr Femi Adesina and Mallam Garba Shehu as his spokesmen.
Femi Adesina will serve as Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) while Garba Shehu will be the new Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity).
The President has also approved the appointment of Mal. Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure as the State Chief of Protocol (SCOP).
Mr Adesina is the current President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and serves as the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun newspapers.
Garba Shehu served as the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. He is also a former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
Abdullahi Kazaure is a career Foreign Service official and currently serves in Aso Rock Villa as a Special Assistant (Presidential Matters).
Tag: Adesina
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Adesina, Shehu named Buhari’s spokesmen
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Adesina is AfDB president
Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina yesterday became the eighth President of the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) after winning in a tight race.
Cape Verde’s Cristina Duarte, the first woman to seek the post, Chad’s Finance Minister Kordje Bedoumra and Adesina, were the only remaining candidates in the race after shareholders dropped five candidates in quick succession.
The election was part of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the bank in Abidjan, the Ivory Coast capital.
“I’m honoured and humbled by support I’ve received and the confidence placed in me. Our best days are ahead,” Adesina, 55, tweeted minutes after he was announced the winner.
Mr Adesina and Ms Duarte were considered strong candidates even before the voting began but the endurance of Mr Bedoumra remained an element of surprise in the race.
Thomas Sakala of Zimbabwe who was backed by the South African Development Community bowed out less than 40 minutes after Tunisia’s Jaloul Ayed was eliminated in the afternoon session.
Three candidates – Sufian Ahmed of Ethiopia, Birama Sidibe of Mali and Sumara Kamara of Sierra Leone were eliminated in the morning session.
Mr Ahmed is the candidate who was being supported by East African countries with the exception of Tanzania, a member of SADC which was supporting Zimbabwean Thomas Sakala as a bloc.
Mr Adesina enjoyed the backing of Nigeria and to some extent countries in the ECOWAS sub region – a constituency which Ms Duarte, who was backed by mostly non-African shareholders of the bank – had also courted.
Mr Bedoumra, a former AfDB vice president, is believed to have got the backing of Francophone Africa for which he was the only one remaining in the race.
President Muhammadu Buhari, then president-elect, took over Adesina’s campaign after former president Olusegun Obasanjo enlisted his support.
Buhari sent emissaries including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to South Africa. Atiku is a known close friend of South African President Jacob Zuma.
Mr Adesina will succeed Dr Kaberuka who steps down from the bank on September 1, after serving two terms.
Dr Kaberuka took the reins of AfDB in 2005 with a commanding mandate of 78 per cent from the shareholders during a special general meeting after a stalemate with a Nigerian candidate during the annual assembly.
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Varsity honours Agric Minister Adesina
THE Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has received honorary Doctor of Agriculture degree from the Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, in the United States (U.S.). The award was conferred on him last Friday during spring commencement ceremonies in the West Lafayette campus’ Elliott Hall of Music.
Dr. Adesina was one of the two awardees for Honorary Doctorate degree awards during the ceremony, the second being William “Bill” Dudley Jr., president and CEO of the Bechtel Group, who got Doctor of Engineering degree. Both Adesina and Dudley are Purdue alumni.
While conferring the award on Adesina, the President of Purdue University, Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. paid glowing tributes to the minister for his exemplary performance, which earned him recognition as one of the honorees.
Earlier on Friday, Dr. Adesina was honoured in the College of Agriculture, where he gave a lecture on lessons to learn from Nigerian agricultural transformation.
Dean of the college, Dr. Jay T. Akridge, hailed the minister for deploying his intellect into transforming agriculture under his watch as a minister and was glad that an alumnus of Purdue lived up to their expectation. Dr. Adesina, in his presentation to the college, underscored the importance of inclusive growth in agriculture, which has taken a turn for the better under his watch as a minister.
On his bid for AfDB presidency, Dr. Adesina outlined his cardinal programme on assumption of office.
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Adesina urges Buhari to continue with agric transformation
THE Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has urged the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to carry on with the sector’s transformation.
Adesina said this would, among other things, ensure that the over $5.6 billion private sector investments attracted to the sector in the last four years are fully harnessed.
The minister spoke in Abuja yesterday when the board of Triton Group, a conglomerate comprising of companies with business interests in seafood distribution, trade, processing, aqua farming and poultry, visited him in his office.
The minister stated that agriculture was positioned to gain from the peaceful outcome of Nigeria’s political process, stressing that investors’ confidence in the industry was motivated by the policy reforms undertaken by the outgoing government.
Adesina, who is running for president of the African Development Bank (ADB), gave reasons why the incoming government should continue with the transformation in the sector, stressing that the “importance of a right policy direction for Nigeria and indeed Africa cannot be over-emphasised”.
The minister said: “I have no doubt that the incoming government will continue on the path of transformation because this has been a smooth transition process. Investors’ confidence in Nigerian agriculture is at an all-time high, motivated by the bold policy reforms we have undertaken in the past four years.
“Our strategy, though initially unpopular, has remained unchanged throughout the period, with emphasis on local production, value addition and import substitution. To my mind, the right policies are those that are primed to move us away from import-dependence.”
On the fisheries policy, Adesina told the visiting team that Nigeria would not continue to import what it could produce.
He said Nigeria was importing an estimated 1.9 million metric tons (MT) of fish valued at over N125 billion per annum.
“This is N125 billion that can be easily ploughed back into the economy to the benefit of all. With a national fish demand of about 2.1 million MT per annum and a domestic production estimated at about 800,000MT, Nigeria has a shortfall of about 1.3 million MT,” the minister said.
Adesina, however, noted that having good policies was not enough, rather they must be entrenched and adhered to tenaciously, even in the face of pessimism.
He said: “We insisted on following through with the reforms and the results keep vindicating us. Today, we gather because Triton Group, erstwhile wholly involved in fish importing business in Nigeria, has on account of our policy measures become converted and is now committed to investing in local aquaculture production.”
The Chairman, Triton Group, Mr. Ashvin Samtani, said the group was at the ministry to present its larger investment strategy and expansion plan, as well as present an aquarium of fish from stock earlier harvested at its Iwo Fish Farm.
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Why I should get ADB job, by Adesina
AGRICULTURE Minister Akinwunmi Adesina is in the race for African Development Bank (ADB) president.
Adesina and seven others are contesting. The others are: Sufian Ahmed, Jaloul Ayed, Kordjé Bedoumra, Cristina Duarte, Samura M. W. Kamara,Thomas Z. Sakala and Birama Boubacar Sidibé .
He told the Voice of America (VOA) in an interview that his many years of work in Francophone and Anglophone countries, coupled with his passion to help eradicate poverty in Africa, qualifies him to become the next ADB president.
He praised Outgoing President Donald Kaberuka, for his work over the years.
Adesina added that there are worrying trends that he will address if elected, including joblessness and inequality among Africa’s youth.
He praised Outgoing President Donald Kaberuka, for his work over the years.
Adesina added that there are worrying trends that he will address if elected, including joblessness and inequality among Africa’s youth.
The election is due to be held on May 28 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Speaking on his plan, the minister said: “First is to focus on smart infrastructure to allow increased productivity and efficiency in growth, to work on the private sector- private sector for wealth creation. The third is jobs for Africa’s youth and jobs for Africa’s women. The fourth area I am going put a lot of emphasis on is reviving rural economies to create shared prosperity and inclusive growth of the continent and finally,… regional integration and prosperity,” said Adesina.
Some Africans have been skeptical about the political will among the leaders on the continent to ensure integration, which they say undermines the ADB’s effectiveness to achieve its objectives.
But Adesina said there is political will among heads of state and government towards integration.
“Africa has no choice than to integrate because if you look at the size of our every single country is a very small market. But we can trade a lot more among ourselves. The amount of trade among African countries is very low, is 12 per cent compared to over 48 per cent in Asia and compared to about almost 47 per cent in the North America free trade area and almost 70 per cent in Europe,” said Adesina.
Twenty-nine African countries have been listed as fragile states, which directly impacts the work of the African Development Bank.
Adesina explained that inclusive democracy could play a key role in ensuring peace and stability in African countries. He cited Nigeria’s peaceful presidential election, where President Goodluck Jonathan lost as an example of how Africa could resolve instability and ensure peace.
“The transition going on in Nigeria is totally smooth and that tells you that Nigeria’s democracy is mature and we need that all across Africa.
“I feel that we need to address the sources of fragility to build institutions, to create jobs to build resilience in our economies, and to make sure that our natural resources, which creates a lot of instability and fragility are managed transparently,” Adesina added.
The ADB operates under the leadership of the President, who serves as the legal representative of the Bank, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, and the Chief of Staff of the Bank. The President conducts the current business of the Bank, under the direction of the Board of Directors. The President is elected by the Board of Governors and serves a 5-year term, renewable once.
Outgoing President Dr. Donald Kaberuka, from Rwanda, was elected in July 2005. He commenced his first term on September 1, 2005. Following his re-election in May 2010, he commenced his last five-year term on September 1, 2010.
The Rules of Procedure Governing the Election of the President of the African Development Bank (Article 1), as amended, require that the Bank hold the election of the President during the Annual Meeting closest to the end of the term of office of the serving President. Accordingly, the Board of Governors will be electing Dr. Kaberuka’s successor on May 28 during the Bank’s Annual Meeting, scheduled to take place in Abidjan, between May 25 and 29.
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Adesina for exhibition on Nov 18
AGRICULTUREMinister Dr Akinwumi Adesina has given his nod to attend the Agra Innovative Nigeria exhibition and conference billed to hold between November 18 and 19 at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
He is expected to give the opening keynote address to kick off the two-day ceremony. In a speech during a visit by the officials of the organisers Infomat in his office in Abuja, the minister was quoted as saying: “The Nigeria Government and, indeed, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan supports ‘Agra Innovate Nigeria’ and we look forward to seeing Nigeria’s agribusiness represented at the ceremony.’’
Informat’s Project Director David Ross said his firm is the leader in exhibitions in the West African sub-region, adding that it is also global keyplayer in the sector. He said the forum would provide an opportunity for stakeholders in the agricultural sector free access to a vibrant exhibition of latest technology. He said leading Nigerian companies, such as Swiss Biostadt, Dizengoff and other firms from Germany, Spain, Canada, Turkey, India, South Africa were being expected at the event.
He is optimistic that the forum would help to boost the transformation agenda of the Jonathan government in agriculture.
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Africa must source agric funds from capital market – Adesina
The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, on Thursday urged African leaders to seek agricultural development funds from the continent’s emerging capital market.
Adesina made the appeal for agricultural development and inclusive growth at the ongoing 24th World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa, with theme: “Forging Inclusive Growth, Creating Jobs,” in Abuja.
“Agriculture has all it takes to drive the inclusiveness needed in the positive economic growth witnessed on the continent.
“African leaders must ensure that they leverage the private sector to ensure effective participation in the programme and also raise money from various domestic capital markets to support the sector.
“The bond, equity market and the unused pension fund, in the case of Nigeria, could be used to see how to make agriculture a business for the youth to buy into,’’ he said.
He also urged international financial institutions like African Development Bank (AfDB) and World Bank to assist in the continent’s effort to develop agriculture.
On Nigerian government efforts in agriculture sector, the minister said that about four billion dollars had been invested in the sector in the last two years.According to him, five per cent of the bank lending goes to the sector and about 80 seed company have benefited from various supports.
Adesina also said that eight million farmers had so far benefited from the e-wallet system of the ministry which focuses on sharing fertilisers and seeds across the country.
“More that 10 million farmers has been registered in the biometrics system and linked to the National Identity Management Commission and they have been able to produce 16 million metric tonnes of food in two years.
“We have to commend Nigeria government because we are the first to launch e-wallet system, others are copying from us now and we are also learning from them in other model to improve our operations,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the minister as saying at the conference.
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Adesina, the Pied Piper of Nigeria
Dear reader, Hardball will take it that we all know the nursery tale about the Pied Piper of Hamelin, that fellow who blew away with his pipe, the pestilence of rats in Hamelin and subsequently took all the kids of the town in tow. Each time one hears Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, our honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, speak about his beat, one is instantly reminded of that fabled Hamelinian who was full of charisma and blandishments but whom you would hearken to only at your peril. Recall that Hardball had brought the matter of rice crisis on this platform once before but he might as well have thrown water on the back of a tortoise. Apparently nobody listens, nobody cares; the people leading us have a singularly insular mindset.
Why are we revisiting Adesina and his agric empire once again so soon? Stakeholders have shouted themselves hoarse about impending food crisis and a looming hunger in the land but our minister seems lost in his own rarefied world of private jets and five-star hotels to hear or understand. On the other hand, each time he climbs down from his high-horse, he throws fictitious statistics and international awards at us hoping to bamboozle us.
The first key issue is that without any basis, he has caused the tariff and levy on rice to be increased to 110 percent in lieu of stemming importation and growing the commodity locally. Great idea. But this fellow is not given to sitting down and pursuing anything to a logical end; he seems to have the attention span of an excited teenager. Where is the document backing this grand policy? Where are the stakeholders he works with to actualise this beautiful idea? Zero. Nothing. Meanwhile, huge levies are being collected on every bag of rice coming into Nigeria. This levy is supposed to build a fund to develop local rice production. Where is the rice fund? Zero. Who is managing it? Zero. Where is the account? Zero.
We would not complain if only Adesina kept his rice fund and the rest of us suffer no ruinous consequence. But we are paying heavily for this guy’s rascality. First, it has become almost impossible to import rice through Nigeria’s ports because it is very costly while smuggling it through neighbouring countries has become very profitable because of very low tariffs at their ports (about 30%). Because it is so lucrative, smugglers have overwhelmed our Customs thus most of the commodity in the Nigerian market today is smuggled.
The result is that Nigeria loses revenue; genuine importers are out of business and the modest, individual effort at growing rice locally is being jeopardised because a bag of smuggled rice is far cheaper than a bag of local paddy (unprocessed rice). According to the Customs, Nigeria loses about $1 billion daily on smuggled rice. Coupled with the Boko Haram activities in northwest Nigeria, many rice farms in Nigeria are abandoned and many plants are in a state of partial shutdown.
What is Adesina’s response to all this: that Nigeria produce 1.1 million metric tonnes of rice in the last dry season and that she is poised to do more in 2013. Inflation had gone down to its lowest since 2008 and that Nigeria received an award from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) for reducing the number of hungry people in Nigeria from 19.3 million in 1990 to 13 million in 2013. Agriculture has employed 25 million youths he said and that the Federal Government has reduced food import by N857 billion.
But Hardball can tell you that these have all turned out to be phantom statistics and lies from our agric minister. It is sad that if Adesina leaves this job today, Nigerians would remember him as the man who dazzled so much but had little substance. Nigerians have watched with bemusement how the bright promise that Adesina held turned to a dreadful mirage.
CORRECTION: Yesterday this column stated that seven ‘rebel’ PDP governors decamped to APC. As we have found out, only five made the move. Error regretted.
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Adesina seeks Nigeria-China partnership on agribusiness
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, is seeking for agricultural business cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the federal government.
Adesina said the partnership would give Nigeria an opportunity to access technological experience from China, establish business ventures between the two countries and promote food supply to China.
The minister spoke at the High Level Forum on achievements of South-South Cooperation (SCC) organised by the Ministry, Chinese government and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) at the weekend in Abuja.
Adesina said: “Nigeria sees China as a strategic partner in agriculture. We should establish a Nigeria-China agribusiness partnership to enable our two countries to go beyond demonstration of technologies.
“South-South agribusiness partnerships will help to scale up access to Chinese technologies and establish joint ventures to help transform our agriculture sector and secure food supplies to China.”
SCC is a global programme implemented under the Tripartite Project Agreement (TPA) signed between the federal government, China and FAO to support the National Programme for Food Security (NPFS).
The project, which is being funded by the federal government, covers the 36 states and the FCT.
Adesina identified needs to mainstream activities of the project with the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of the current administration.
He also said that the country has dropped from being the world highest importer of rice to China.
While emphasising the cooperation between the countries, the minister urged developing partners to modify the SSC because of the new agribusiness approach, to South-South Agricultural Investment Cooperation (SSAIC).
He reminded the Chinese Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Chen Xiaohua of the anticipated rice milling technologies and cassava processing plants from China.
Xiaohua said food security is fundamental to human survival and development.
He stated that China attaches much significance to agricultural development and food security, which had enabled the country to remain self sufficient through local production.
According to him: “Agriculture is the foundation of a nation, and food is the heaven to its people.
“China has fed 21% of the world population with less than 9 percent of world cultivated land, which embodies our commitment to the people, and also constitutes a major contribution to world security.”
He noted that since inception of the project in the country in 2003, the SSC had received 574 Chinese experts and technicians and it has been the most productive in the country.
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Oyo APC leaders eulogise Lam Adesina
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State yesterday eulogised the late Alhaji Lam Adesina, leader of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
They described the late politician as a selfless leader with exceptional qualities.
The APC leaders, who spoke during a visit to Adesina’s widow, Alhaja Saratu, at her Felele home in Ibadan, the state capital, pledged to preserve the former governor’s legacies.
They include the state chairmen of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Alhaji Rasaq Folorunso, and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Mr. Abideen Oladimeji.
Former governorship candidates Mr. Adebayo Shittu (CPC) and Mr. Wale Olatunji (ANPP) were present.
Also in attendance were Chief Pekun Adesokan, Elder Babatunde Adeosun, Mogaji Oladosu Bankole, Pa Isamosta Ashiru, Mr. Kazeem Adedeji, former commissioner for works (and later Information) Chief Caleb Oyaniyi and a former member of the Oodua Investment Group, Prince Debo Gbadebo.
Shittu described the late Adesina as his mentor and political father.
He said their visit was to reaffirm their love for the family and visit Adesina’s grave.
Shittu said: “We are here to identify with Alhaja Saratu and the deceased’s followers (Lamists), under the aegis of the Lam Adesina Memorial Abe Tent, with their headquartres here in Felele.
“Former leaders of the defunct CPC and ANPP have come to meet the Lamists to form a formidable front for the APC in Oyo.”
The APC leaders were received by Alhaja Saratu and a relative, Dr. Isiaka Kolawole.
Kolawole, who is the head of the Abe Tent, thanked them for preserving the legacies of the late politician.
He described the APC as the modern day Noah’s Ark for the country’s salvation.
Kolawole said: “The late Adesina was an incarnation of minimalism, a representation of plainness, a depiction of humility, an interpretation of welfarism, a standard of progressivism and an illustration of service to humanity.
“In the face of danger to his life, he resisted partiality, opposed unfairness, defied wickedness, challenged injustice, confronted inequality and promoted fairness.
“He stood tall where others had fallen to the grotesque sleaze and incongruous corruption that pervade our land, as he spurred cupidity, despised avarice and disdained grandiosity. Throughout his life, Lam derided showiness and reviled bitterness and animosity.”
Alhaja Saratu thanked them for their “goodwill”.
Prayers were offered for Governor Abiola Ajimobi during the visit.