AfDB Chief Adesina calls agriculture as vital profession in the world

The President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina recently found out time to remind students of the vital role they need to play in the continent’s economic development, as he was conferred with an honorary doctorate in his homeland.

The Doctorate of Science was awarded by the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Nigeria, on Tuesday, in honor of the African Development Bank’s Chief Akinwumi Adesina’s work in agriculture and food security across the continent.

“Agriculture is the most important profession and business in the world,” AfDB Chief Adesina said. He pledged to continue the work of transforming Nigeria’s agriculture sector. “The size of food and agriculture in Africa will rise to $1 trillion by 2030. The population of Africa, now at 1.2 billion, will double to 2.5 billion by 2050. They all must eat. And only through food and agribusiness can this be achieved,” he added.

According to him, AfDB was spearheading efforts to feed Africa and was investing USD 25 billion over a 10-year period to transform the continent’s agriculture sector. He added that what ‘what Africa does with food would determine the future of food, given that 65 percent of the arable land left to feed the world is here.’

“I am delighted to see so many of our young people engaged in agriculture arising from the Youth Employment in Agriculture initiative launched when I was minister to get the youth into agriculture as a business.  From their innovations in the use of drones, food processing, packaging, transport and logistics and marketing, they are already unlocking the opportunities in agriculture,” he further added.