World Food Prize: AfDB President to deliver Norman Borlaug lecture

Dr Akinwumi Adesina, the President of African Development Bank (AfDB), will be leading his bank’s delegation to Iowa State capital of Des Moines in U.S to attend events at the World Food Prize.

Mr Emeka Anuforo, the Communication Officer of AfDB, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

According to him, the Prize is presented each October on or around UN World Food Day, adding that this year’s ceremony will take place from Oct. 16 to Oct. 20 in Iowa State in U.S.

Anuforo said that Adesina would deliver the Norman Borlaug Lecture on “Betting on Africa to Feed the World”, on October 16 at the World Food Day in Iowa State University.

Anuforo said that Adesina would be awarded the 2017 World Food Prize on the evening of October 19.

He said that the AfDB president would also deliver the Laureate address at a luncheon on Oct. 20.

Anuforo said that the World Food Prize had become a week-long of events drawing over 1,200 participants from more than 65 countries to address issues related to global food security and nutrition.

He listed the World Food Prize series of events as the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium, Iowa Hunger Summit, Laureate Lecture Series and presentation of Dr. Norman Borlaug Award.

He said that the Borlaug Award was for field research and application endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation.

According to him, in June this year, the World Food Prize announced Adesina as the 2017 laureate for his work in improving the availability of seeds, fertiliser and financing for African farmers.

The prize was also awarded to Adeshina for laying the foundation for the youth in Africa to engage in agriculture as a profitable business.

“Under Adesina’s leadership, AfDB is accelerating agricultural development through its feed Africa strategy with planned investment of 24 billion U.S dollars over the next 10 years.

“The prize recognises Adesina’s work over the past two decades with the Rockefeller Foundation at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

“On Oct.18, the AfDB President is speaking at a side event on “Making Farming Cool: Investing in Future African Farmers and Agripreneurs”.

“The event showcases the convergence of agriculture and youth employment.

“The session will draw attention to the role of policy, governance and technology in accelerating sustainable economic growth.

“A number of young African agricultural entrepreneurs supported under the Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment (ENABLE) Youth program of the AfDB would be at the event.”

Anuforo said that the AfDB President would address a session on the Transformation of the African Savanah Initiative (TASI) at the event.

According to him, TASI is an AfDB programme to bring additional 1.6 million hectares of land under cultivation to double maize, soya bean and livestock production in eight African countries.

He listed the eight countries as Ghana, Guinea, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Mozambique and Zambia.

Anuforo said that the AfDB President would also join key nutrition actors, private sector representatives, policy makers and thought leaders at a global panel on agriculture and food systems for nutrition plenary session.

He said that the essence of the session was to push for mutual accountability on leadership, governance and investments for nutrition.