By Faridat Salifu
In a move that signals a sharpening focus on Africa and innovation-driven development, the World Food Prize Foundation has appointed Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, outgoing President of the African Development Bank, to its elite Council of Advisorsa decision timed just months ahead of his September exit from AfDB.
The appointment of Adesina a 2017 World Food Prize Laureate and one of Africa’s most influential economic reformers comes as the world confronts rising food insecurity, climate-linked agricultural shocks, and stalled progress on sustainable farming. For the Foundation, bringing Adesina back into the fold isn’t symbolic. It’s tactical.
“President Adesina embodies the spirit of Borlaug bold, unrelenting, visionary,” said Foundation President Mashal Husain, referencing Nobel laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, who founded the Prize to drive forward practical, science-based hunger solutions. “He turns policy into progress. That’s exactly what this moment calls for.”
Adesina, who previously led Nigeria’s sweeping agriculture reform and has spent the last decade reshaping Africa’s development finance architecture, is expected to bring deep insights into the political economy of food systems.
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His legacy includes pioneering risk-sharing instruments for agri-finance, championing youth-led agri-tech, and steering billions in investment toward infrastructure for inclusive growth.
“This is not just a seat at the table,” Adesina said. “This is a chance to reset how the world tackles hunger with African solutions, local innovation, and bold partnerships rooted in science.”
The World Food Prize Foundation’s Council of Advisors includes former heads of state, ministers, and global experts in agriculture, education, and food policy. Its role is to guide the Foundation’s strategy and ensure it remains a force multiplier for impact in global food systems.
Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and CEO of the Foundation, said Adesina’s appointment is more than honorary. “He has been a disruptor in the best sense fighting corruption in fertilizer schemes, building ecosystems around smallholder farmers, and positioning food not just as a survival need, but as a tool for peace, dignity, and growth.”
Adesina is the only Nigerian to have received the World Food Prize and holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University. His new role at the Foundation begins immediately after he concludes his second term at the AfDB in September 2025.
With his addition to the Council, the Foundation appears to be gearing up for a more assertive global role — one where African expertise isn’t just included, but leads.
