ABUJA — The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has hailed Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the outgoing President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), for what it described as a decade of revolutionary leadership and unprecedented achievements that elevated Nigeria and Africa’s image on the global stage.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of CUPP, Comrade Mark Adebayo, praised Adesina’s transformational leadership that redefined AfDB’s global competitiveness and institutional effectiveness.
“Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has represented Nigeria and Africa with distinction. His tenure brought unparalleled transformation to the AfDB, placing it at the forefront of global financial innovation and strategic intervention,” Adebayo stated.
Highlighting some of the milestones under Adesina’s leadership, CUPP noted the establishment of Africa50, a premier private equity infrastructure investment platform with portfolio companies now valued at over $7 billion.
The coalition also applauded Adesina’s role in securing multilevel institutional support for continental bodies such as the African Union, Africa CDC, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It further noted that the African Investment Forum, launched in 2018, had mobilized over $225 billion in investment interest.
“Dr. Adesina’s introduction of synthetic securitization in 2015—making AfDB the first multilateral development bank in the world to implement such an innovation—demonstrates his trailblazing leadership,” Adebayo added.
According to CUPP, under Adesina’s watch, the AfDB maintained a perfect AAA credit rating, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, and recorded its highest income in over 60 years.
Commending him as “a good ambassador of Nigeria,” the CUPP called on the Federal Government to confer on Adesina the country’s highest national honour in recognition of his immense contributions.
“If a foreign country like Kenya could honour him with its highest award, Nigeria must not lag behind. We must learn to celebrate our best while they are still with us,” the statement said.
CUPP concluded by congratulating Adesina, describing him as “Africa’s pride and one of Nigeria’s finest exports to the world.”
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