IITA rejoices with AfDB President on honoris causa
IITA celebrates with its ardent supporter and champion, HE Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of African Development Bank (AfDB) as he receives an honorary award of Doctor of Entrepreneurship from Bowen University, Nigeria. This award is recognition for his commitment to youth empowerment, contribution to subsistence farming, publications on agriculture and policy development as well as his role in African economic and agricultural development. The honorary award was received on 2 November, during the 14th convocation ceremony of Bowen University, Nigeria.
As the first Nigerian president of AfDB and an alumnus of IITA, Adesina always motivates young people to be job creators through entrepreneurship and not job seekers. “Invest your talents in entrepreneurship,” Adesina said.
In his keynote lecture, Adesina emphasized the need to engage youth in agribusiness. He says youth can create employment and also generate wealth from the myriads of opportunities the sector provides them. “Big businesses in the world are being created by young people. What we really need to do is to invest in young people, their ideas and businesses,” he said.
He says there is a need to focus also on investment aside empowerment. “I think it is time that Africans begins to put their money at risk for young people’s businesses.”
Other important aspects of the celebration were the tree-planting session by Adesina and IITA Director General Nteranya Sanginga. The tree, Annona Senegalensis, is a symbol of inspiration to the university community that little beginnings yield great impacts, where there is consistency.
