Nigeria just simultaneously lost its agriculture minister and gained its first African Development Bank president.
After more than five hours of anticipation and frenzy over social media on Thursday, Africa’s leading development finance institution announced its new president: Akinwumi Adesina, the man known for his colorful bow ties.
It was no straightforward win for Adesina, who has served for the past five years as Nigeria’s minister of agriculture and rural development. He was up against Thomas Sakala, former vice president at the bank who had the backing of the Southern African Development Community.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
