The African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Africa’s agricultural transformation, economic development, and strategic leadership through the AfDB’s Feed Africa strategy.
Dr Adesina was conferred during NOUN’s recent convocation ceremony in Abuja.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Adesina reflected on the journey from his days as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, where he conceived the idea of Staple Crop Processing Zones, to his current role in overseeing the expanded and well-funded SAPZ programme now being rolled out across Nigeria and other African countries.
He highlighted the SAPZs’ transformative potential to unlock the value of agricultural commodities, reduce post-harvest losses, and stimulate industrial development in rural communities.
With SAPZs now active in Kaduna, Cross River, and six other Nigerian states, Dr. Adesina reaffirmed AfDB’s commitment to inclusive development that directly impacts farmers, youth, and agripreneurs.
The NOUN recognition serves as an affirmation of the broader vision of agricultural-led economic diversification and the legacy of leadership that Dr. Adesina continues to build across the continent.
Meanwhile, as ppart of the convocation activities at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), the Vice Chancellor hosted a special dinner in honour of distinguished awardees, including Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank.
The dinner provided an opportunity for thought leaders, academic stakeholders, policymakers, and development partners to celebrate Dr. Adesina’s unwavering commitment to Africa’s sustainable development, especially in the agricultural sector.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor commended Dr. Adesina for his foresight in conceptualising agro-industrial development models such as the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), now being implemented in Nigeria and across 10 other African nations.
He noted that SAPZs exemplify the kind of visionary public-private partnerships needed to drive rural prosperity, youth employment, and export readiness.
Attendees praised the AfDB’s catalytic role in mobilising over $3 billion in financing for SAPZs continent-wide and acknowledged that such initiatives represent lasting structural reforms capable of elevating Africa’s agro-economy.
The evening ended with a renewed sense of commitment among stakeholders to support the SAPZ initiative, scale agricultural innovation, and continue building bridges between academia, policy, and development finance.
