Former African Development Bank (AfDB) president Akinwumi Adesina has expressed his willingness to serve Nigeria in any capacity, saying he has a duty and responsibility to contribute to the country’s development.
Adesina made the remarks on Tuesday after meeting President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he briefed the president on his 10-year leadership of the continental development finance institution.
“I’m fully able to help Nigeria in any capacity. I’ve always had that. You know, my heart is always at home,” he told journalists after the meeting.
Asked about the role he could take on, Adesina said he was prepared to contribute in any capacity Tinubu considered appropriate, while clarifying that he was not seeking a government appointment.
“I’m not looking for a job. I’m not looking for anything. I’m just here to help. It’s my country. I have a duty, an obligation, and a responsibility to do so, and I will,” he said.
No specific role or appointment was announced for the former AfDB president after the meeting.
Adesina’s record in agriculture and development finance
Adesina, an agricultural economist, served as Nigeria’s minister of agriculture and rural development from 2011 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan before becoming the first Nigerian to lead the AfDB.
He was elected president of the bank in May 2015 and secured a second five-year term in August 2020. His tenure ended in 2025.
As agriculture minister, Adesina championed reforms to the distribution of subsidised agricultural inputs. These included an electronic-wallet system that enabled farmers to receive support for seeds and fertiliser through their mobile phones.
The AfDB said the programme reached 15 million farmers within its first four years. It was designed to improve farmers’ access to agricultural inputs while reducing the involvement of intermediaries in distribution.
During his leadership of the AfDB, Adesina oversaw development initiatives focused on expanding electricity access, improving food security, industrialising African economies, strengthening regional integration and raising living standards.
Under his leadership, the bank’s general capital increased from $93 billion to $208 billion in 2019 following a decision by its shareholders. At the time, it was the largest capital increase in the institution’s history.
AfDB provided $7bn to Nigeria in 10 years
During his meeting with Tinubu, Adesina disclosed that the AfDB provided approximately $7 billion in financing to Nigeria between 2015 and 2025.
He compared the amount with the $11.1 billion in cumulative financing the bank had extended to Nigeria since beginning operations in the country in 1971.
“Within 10 years, we were able to do 63 per cent, literally, of that,” he said, adding that Tinubu was pleased with the bank’s support for Nigeria during his tenure.
Adesina also commended the president’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and the harmonisation of the foreign exchange windows.
He described the measures as difficult but said they were beginning to yield results.
He pointed to increased foreign exchange availability, the return of portfolio investors and a downward trend in inflation as signs of progress, while acknowledging that prices remained high for Nigerians.
He also cited improved assessments of Nigeria by some international credit rating agencies, saying the country’s outlook had shifted towards stable or positive assessments.
His comments come amid continued debate over the impact of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, including higher fuel costs following the removal of the petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange market.
While the government has defended the reforms as necessary to stabilise the economy, the rising cost of living continues to put pressure on households and businesses.
From economic stabilisation to growth
Adesina said stabilising the economy was only the first step, arguing that Nigeria must now prioritise structural transformation, economic growth and prosperity.
He said Tinubu understood the need to move beyond macroeconomic reforms and address the broader task of transforming the economy.
“I told the president, I’m back at home, here to help and ready to help. It’s my country. I love my country, and I’m ready to help,” he said.
Adesina’s offer follows his decade-long leadership of one of Africa’s major development finance institutions, during which the bank financed projects and programmes across agriculture, energy, transport and infrastructure.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for him to formally brief Tinubu on the completion of his two terms and the achievements recorded during his leadership of the bank.
Adesina said he was honoured to have been received by the president and was pleased with the report he presented.
Although he did not specify how he would contribute to Nigeria’s development, he said he was ready to offer his experience whenever the president considered it useful.
“It’s my country. I have a duty, an obligation, and a responsibility to do so, and I will,” he said.