The story of a man can sometimes read like the story of a continent. For Akinwumi Adesina, who stepped down this September after 10 years at the helm of the African Development Bank (AfDB), his journey seems stitched into Africa’s own restless quest for growth and dignity.
Raised in Ibadan by farming parents, Adesina was no stranger to hardship. He spoke often of classrooms where poverty was as real as chalk dust. Those early lessons carried him through First Class honours at Ife, a doctorate at Purdue, and eventually, into the nerve centre of development finance.
When he assumed the presidency of the Bank in 2015, he promised more than balance sheets. “Not just numbers, but lives,” he said. A decade later, the results sparkle: 565 million people touched, power grids expanded, food security strengthened, and investments mobilised at scales once thought fanciful.
The Bank’s capital base swelled from $93 billion to $318 billion. A coveted AAA rating was preserved. An $8.9 billion replenishment of the African Development Fund broke records. And the African Investment Forum drew billions in private capital, proof that hope can be bankable.
Yet the years were not without shadows. In 2020, allegations of misconduct threatened to derail his career. Cleared of wrongdoing, he emerged re-elected with unanimity. His reply was sharp: “Just because you are African doesn’t mean you are corrupt.” It was both a defence and a manifesto.
Through it all, Adesina leaned on faith, family, and purpose. His wife, Grace, remained a constant, his speeches laced with scripture. “This is not a job,” he liked to remind audiences. “This is a mission.” And the inconspicuous silver hair he now carries tells its own story of unrelenting service.
At 65, his tenure ends, but the ripple continues. Like seeds planted in fertile soil, the reforms he championed may take root in places unseen. And perhaps, in quiet fields across Africa, a farmer’s child will one day look up and find their own horizon widened.
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