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Adesina, others receive Nigerian diaspora global Icon award
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina has been conferred with the prestigious National Diaspora Merit Award by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
In a statement issued by the bank in Abuja, said Adesina was honoured in recognition of his selfless service and contributions as a Nigerian Diaspora Global Icon.
The statement said he was honoured alongside other recipients in the Global Icon category such as the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, and Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Receiving the award on behalf of Adesina, the Director-General of AfDB Group Nigeria Country Department, Lamin Barrow expressed gratitude to NIDCOM.
“For the great recognition of president Adesina’s outstanding achievements and contributions to Nigeria and the continent’s development efforts.
“The award will inspire him further to continue his unrelenting efforts for Nigeria and Africa’s transformation,” Barrow said.
He quoted Adesina in a statement as saying,“I thank NIDCOM and I am pleased to accept the award with humility.
“I am deeply touched by this acknowledgement of my modest contributions to finance and economics and my recognition as a role model to other Nigerians in the diaspora.”
Often described as “Africa’s Optimist-in-Chief”, Adesina is widely lauded for his visionary leadership and passion for Africa’s transformation.
His bold reforms as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture turned the sector around in four years, benefiting 15 million farmers through an electronic wallet system.
As AfDB president, Adesina achieved the highest-ever capital increase and led swift responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He has received numerous accolades, including the World Food Prize and African of the Year.
More than 20 other Nigerians in the diaspora, including Emeritus Professor Augustine Esogbue, Professor Mobolaji Aluko and Professor Rotimi Jayesimi, received awards in various categories.
The categories include education, politics, information and communications technology, leadership development, medicine and healthcare, automobile, philanthropy and sports.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of NIDCOM, Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa said the conferment of a National Diaspora Merit Award on Adesina was in recognition of his selfless service.
Dabiri-Erewa said the recognition was also for his contributions as a Nigerian Diaspora Global Icon, adding that NIDCOM appreciated Adesina’s “unflinching love and contributions to national development”.
“This award is predicated upon the importance of recognising and celebrating Nigerians in the diaspora who have excelled in their various fields of endeavour and contributing to the development of Nigeria.
“These exceptional Nigerians have, over time, contributed to making Nigeria a better place in their own capacities.
“It is thus important that the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Commission, recognises their remarkable feats,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NIDCOM is an agency under Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for engaging with the Nigerian diaspora community.
The award ceremony took place during the National Diaspora Day 2023 in Abuja and was organised under the theme: “Consolidating Diaspora Engagement for National Development”.
Other guests present at the award included AfDB’s Chief Economist and Vice President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, Prof. Kevin Urama, and Dr Adesina’s Adviser on Stakeholder Engagement, Ms Lola Visser-Mabogunje.
Also present were executives and members of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) from across the world, senior government, officials, captains of industry and members of the diplomatic community among others.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, has confirmed the death of a woman in an accident at Okpoko Market on the Asaba-Onitsha Road.
The Sector Commander, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said that the woman was hit while she was crossing the road.
He said that the accident, which occurred on Wednesday, involved a commercial tow truck with registration number XA550BMA.
“Eyewitness report reaching us indicates that the truck was towing a vehicle in an uncontrollable speed along the axis.
“The vehicle that was being towed got detached from the tow truck.
“It hit and killed a female adult, who was said to be crossing the road, while the tow truck continued its movement.
“FRSC rescue team came to the scene and took the woman to Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, where she was confirmed dead and her body deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.
While sympathising with the family of the dead, the sector commander urged motorists, especially tow truck drivers, to exercise a high level of professionalism.
He also urged the drivers to always use standard equipment and avoid speeding.
The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, said the state government’s maize palliative to members of the association made a positive impact on the sector.
Iyiola said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
“We received about 150,000 tons of maize in February from the Lagos State government as palliative to cushion the effect of high feed prices.
“The major benefit of the palliative is that it actually cushioned the cost of production for most poultry farmers in the state.
“The palliative was beneficial as it made the cost of some poultry produce, especially eggs to drop,” Iyiola said.
He noted that prior to the palliative, a crate of egg was sold between N3,500 and N3,700 at the farm gate, but after the palliative, it now sells between N3,200 and N3,400.
According to the PAN chair, retailers and middlemen who sell from N3,800 to N4,200 do that for their personal gain.
“We have urged our members to sell their eggs at reasonable prices following the receipt of the palliative from the government.
“We appreciate the Lagos State government for the palliative but we also urge the federal government to do likewise, to further reduce the cost of production in the sector.
“This will consequently lead to drop in the prices of all poultry produce across board,” he said.
He said the palliative was shared among financial members of the association at no extra cost.
“As an association we shared the grains equally across PAN’s eight zones in the state equally. We also mandated each zone not the sell even a grain of the maize.
“We, however, considered new poultry farmers who wanted to the join the association as beneficiaries of the palliative,” said Iyiola.
He noted that through the palliative, more poultry farmers were recruited into the association.
“The maize was shared only to poultry farmers and not feed millers, it is the major component of poultry feed formulation,” he said.
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