WTO Chief Lauds Akinwumi Adesina’s Transformative Decade at AfDB
By Patience Ikpeme
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has expressed deep admiration for Dr. Akinwumi Adesina’s leadership of the African Development Bank (AfDB) as he concludes his decade-long tenure.
She paid tribute to his impact on Africa’s premier development finance institution, noting the historic rise in its capital base from $93 billion to the current level of $318 billion.
In a video message shared with the Bank’s shareholders and delegates at the close of their Annual Meetings, Okonjo-Iweala stated, “He’s leaving a strong legacy behind of which he, Nigerians and all Africans, should be proud.” The WTO Director-General cited Adesina’s signature “High 5s” development agenda, explaining that its successful implementation is instrumental in achieving Africa’s Agenda 2063 goals.
She praised Adesina’s exceptional service and lasting impact on both the institution and the continent. Okonjo-Iweala expressed confidence that with sustained commitment and strategic focus, these ambitious development targets remain achievable. She stressed the importance of Africans taking ownership of the continent’s development and called for continued efforts to convert international interest into concrete investment.
The WTO Director-General also spoke enthusiastically about the African Investment Forum, a multi-stakeholder platform launched by Adesina and eight other partners to advance projects to bankable stages. She noted that it complements the WTO’s initiatives in promoting African economic development and integration.
While thanking African leaders, governors, executive directors, senior management, and staff for supporting Adesina throughout his tenure, Okonjo-Iweala also recognized Adesina’s wife, Grace, acknowledging her “steadfast support of her husband’s demanding role” over the past decade.
Recalling their time serving together in the cabinet of former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, Okonjo-Iweala spoke of Adesina’s transformative initiatives in agriculture. She particularly mentioned his pioneering of the digital wallet system designed to support women farmers. “I challenged him to reach an additional one to two million women farmers, promising performance-based budget support. He delivered—reaching two million more. That’s the kind of leader Akin is,” the WTO chief explained.
“Akin brought uncommon passion to his work and made a difference to the lives of farmers in the country,” she observed, adding that his leadership has “significantly raised the profile of the bank to a new height of recognition and respectability.”
It was as Nigeria’s Finance Minister and her country’s Governor of the Bank in 2015 that Okonjo-Iweala successfully led Adesina’s campaign for the Bank’s presidency.
The Bank Group’s 2025 Annual Meetings were held in Abidjan under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development.” The gathering saw the attendance of several heads of state and government, including host President Alassane Ouattara, Ghana’s President John Mahama, and Azali Assoumani of the Union of the Comoros, along with more than 5,000 delegates from various parts of the world.
