IFPRI extends sincere and enthusiastic congratulations to Akinwumi Adesina on being named the recipient of the 2017 World Food Prize. President Adesina was selected for the prize for his “breakthrough achievements as Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria and his critical role in the development of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA),” according to a statement on the World Food Prize Foundation website. President Adesina’s path-breaking work and advocacy for transforming the agricultural production sector began at CGIAR (at two centers–the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics [ICRISAT] and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture [IITA]). Following his work at CGIAR, Adesina played pivotal roles at the Rockefeller Foundation and at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and was later appointed Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria. He currently serves as the eighth president of the African Development Bank where he continues his personal and professional commitment to agricultural development.

IFPRI is proud to have partnered with Dr. Adesina throughout his career,” said Shenggen Fan, director general of IFPRI. “We celebrate this recognition with him and the much-needed attention it will bring to increasing investment to improve food security and nutrition in Africa and around the world.”

The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world.