Akinwumi Adesina, chief of the African Development Bank (AfDB), believes that the future of Nigerian youngsters lies not in Europe, North America, or anyplace else, but in a West African country on the African continent.
On Wednesday, the former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture announced that he had received the prestigious 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership in Lagos.
Adesina, who spoke after serving and former African Presidents took turns praising his great leadership in Africa, stated that nations thrive economically by maintaining their best human capital at home while acquiring additional resource talents overseas.
The 64-year-old leader decried the migration phenomenon known as “Japa,” which has been popularized by Nigerian youths who leave the country in droves seeking economic wealth and employment stability in faraway Europe, the Americas, Asia, and other areas of the world.
“While one might argue that our growing diaspora is good as they send back billions of dollars, higher than the oil revenue that we have, this is not the way to develop sustainably,” Adesina said in a room colourful graced with past and serving African leaders including the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan; Ethiopian President, Sahle-Work Zewde; Prime Minister of Togo, Victoire Tomegah Dogbé; President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria; and the President of the Union of the Comoros and the outgoing Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani.
“Nations that develop do all they can to keep their best human capital at home and additional resource skills elsewhere, with flexible immigration and labour policies. We must make Nigeria a viable place for people to stay and not a place to run away from, the same applies to other countries,” said the AfDB chief who donned his signature bow tie.
“I refuse to believe that the future of Nigeria’s and Africa’s youths lie in Europe, North America, Asia, or anywhere else. I believe that there future must lie in Africa, growing well, robustly, able to create quality jobs and decent earnings for our young people.
“There is absolutely no reason in the world how we have a demographic asset that then becomes a global negative externality. Let’s take pride in ourselves and let’s make our demographic asset our economic asset globally.”
Adesina, who was Nigeria’s Agriculture Minister from 2011 to 2015 said, “I firmly believe that their future lies right here in Nigeria,” adding that for this reason, the AfDB launched a $614m programme to support Nigeria’s digital and creative enterprise to create 6.3 million jobs and add N6.4bn to the economy.
He also said the pan-African bank will launched a youth-centric bank, the Youths Entrepreneurship Investment Bank, to cater specifically for the needs of young people.
“I always say to myself, how can we have 477 million people under the age of 35 and there are no financial institution? That means we have missing institution and market failure problems. and that is why the African Development Bank decided that we will create what we call Youths Entrepreneurship Investment Bank.”
Meanwhile, nonagenarian elder statesman and former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, praised the selection of Adesina as the fourth recipient of the coveted award, which was established in memory of the late sage, Awolowo.
Past recipients of the coveted prize, which recognizes pan-African leadership, include Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, former South African President Thabo Mbeki, and legal luminary Aare Afe Babalola.
Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), a former Head of State, regarded Adesina as deserving of the accolade. Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan attended the occasion, and President Tinubu was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Serving governors including Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Alex Otti (Abia), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Usman Ododo (Kogi), and Mohammed Bago (Niger), as well as the Chairman of Channels Media Group, Dr John Momoh who presented Adesina’s citation at the event; amongst many fine dignitaries were also present at the event.