Adesina Meets Tinubu, Says He Is Ready to Contribute to Nigeria’s Development

Former President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has declared his readiness to serve Nigeria in any capacity, insisting that he is not seeking a new job.

Adesina spoke on Tuesday after meeting President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he briefed the President on his 10-year tenure at the continental development bank and its contributions to Nigeria.

The former AfDB president said his willingness to support the country was driven by a sense of duty and patriotism rather than the pursuit of an appointment.

Asked what capacity he could serve Nigeria, Adesina told State House correspondents, “I’m fully able to help Nigeria in any capacity. I’ve always had that. My heart is always at home.

“In any capacity that His Excellency feels I can help, I can help in anything. I’m not looking for a job. I’m not looking for anything.

“It’s my country. I have a duty, an obligation and a responsibility to do so, and I will.”

Adesina explained that the meeting was also an opportunity to formally inform Tinubu that his tenure at the AfDB had ended and present an account of the bank’s achievements during his leadership.

He said, “I completed my two terms as President of the African Development Bank, 10 years, and it’s customary and required that I come back home to tell His Excellency the President of the completion of my term, and to give him a report of what was achieved during my term.

“I took the opportunity to brief His Excellency on that.

“Mr President was very pleased with what was done and what was accomplished.”

AfDB Provided Nigeria $7bn in 10 Years

Speaking on the bank’s financial support to Nigeria, Adesina said the institution provided approximately $7bn to the country between 2015 and 2025, representing about 63 per cent of its cumulative financing to Nigeria since it began operations in the country in 1971.

He said, “If you look at the bank’s support to Nigeria from 2015 to 2025, it was roughly $7bn.

“But if you look at the total amount of bank financing to Nigeria since 1971, when the African Development Bank started operations in Nigeria, it has been $11.1bn. So within 10 years, we were able to do 63 per cent, literally, of that.

“The President was very, very pleased with the various support that has been provided.”

Adesina Commends Tinubu’s Economic Reforms

The economist and former Minister of Agriculture also commended Tinubu’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and the harmonisation of the foreign exchange windows.

According to him, the measures, although difficult, are beginning to produce results, including increased foreign exchange availability, improved portfolio investment inflows and a downward trend in inflation.

“These are very, very important, difficult reforms, but they are beginning to bear some fruit, quite some fruit,” he said.

Adesina added, “You have a lot more foreign exchange available today. You have a lot of portfolio investors coming into the country. You have inflation trending downwards. Prices are still a bit high, but inflation is trending downwards.

“If you take a look at how the world looks at Nigeria, it’s very, very different. I look at some of the rating agencies, and some of them give Nigeria a stable and also positive outlook.”

However, he stressed that stabilising the economy should not be the government’s final objective, urging the administration to focus on structural transformation, economic growth and improved prosperity.

“You have to now move from the issue of the reforms and stabilisation straight into structural transformation and also growth and prosperity, which is what the President is focusing on.

“That’s just the beginning of the work,” he said.

Reaffirming his willingness to contribute to national development, Adesina added, “I told the President, I’m back at home, here to help and ready to help. It’s my country. I love my country, and I’m ready to help.”

Adesina, 66, became the eighth president of the African Development Bank in 2015, making him the first Nigerian to lead the institution. Before his appointment, he served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture from 2011 to 2015.

His tenure at the AfDB ended on September 1, 2025, and he was succeeded by Dr Sidi Ould Tah.

At a farewell ceremony in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in September 2025, Tinubu praised Adesina’s decade-long leadership in a goodwill message delivered by the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite.

“We celebrate your decade-long leadership and achievements at the African Development Bank,” the President said, crediting Adesina’s High 5 agenda with helping to drive economic growth and food security.