By Irene Gaitirira
Published November 26, 2018
Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina of the African Development Bank Group has won the 2019 Sunhak Peace Prize of South Korea for his contribution to food security in Africa.
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The Sunhak Peace Prize, that ‘honours individuals and organisations who have made significant contributions to the peace and the welfare of the future generations’, has been awarded to Dr Adesina, an agricultural economist and former Agriculture Minister in Nigeria who now presides over the African Development Bank, for his contribution to ‘food security in Africa, aimed at improving the lives of millions currently living in poverty, throughout the African continent.’
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As an ‘economic commander’ of Africa, Dr Adesina promotes the ‘High 5 Strategy’ that include: light up and power Africa, feed Africa, industrialize Africa, integrate Africa and improve the quality of life for the people of Africa. As a result of his work, the lives of millions of people throughout Africa have been improved.
Dr Adesina is reported to have pioneered what is described as major transformations in the agricultural field, including expanding rice production by introducing high yielding technologies, designing and implementing policies to support farmers’ access to technologies at scale, increasing the availability of credit for millions of smallholder farmers, attracting private investments for the agricultural sector, rooting out the corrupt elements in the fertilizer industry, and assisting in establishment of major agricultural policies for Africa’s green revolution.
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“For us to build an era of peace and coexistence in the 21st century,” Il Sik Hong, Chair of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee, “we want to encourage continuous development in Africa. Africa is a rising star and its growth will contribute global progress and development throughout the 21st century. The Sunhak Peace Prize was established based upon the vision of “One Family Under God.” The 2019 Sunhak Peace Prize gives special attention to peace and human development in Africa.”
The Sunhak Peace Prize, that shall be awarded in Seoul, South Korea in February 2019, comes with a US$1 Million cash prize.
