The immediate past President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has offered to support Nigeria’s development in any capacity, saying he is back home and ready to help.
Adesina made the remarks while briefing State House correspondents after meeting President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
He said the meeting provided an opportunity to brief the president on his tenure at the AfDB and the bank’s support for Nigeria during that period.
Adesina offers to support Nigeria’s development
Adesina said he was willing to contribute to Nigeria’s development wherever his experience and expertise could be useful. He stressed that his offer was driven by a sense of duty to his country rather than a search for a government appointment.
He also acknowledged that the economic reforms introduced by Tinubu’s administration were beginning to yield results but said the gains needed to be followed by a stronger focus on structural transformation and economic expansion.
- “Now, that’s just the beginning of the work. I think the most critical thing is the president realizes, and everybody knows that being a dentist is a very difficult job, but you have to also now move from the issue of the reforms and stabilization straight into structural transformation and also growth and prosperity, which is what the president is focusing on,” Adesina said.
- “And 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.”
Asked in what capacity he could support Nigeria, given his international experience, Adesina said he was prepared to serve wherever the president considered his contribution useful.
- “I’m fully able to help Nigeria in any capacity. I’ve always had that. You know, my heart is always at home. And 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. I’m just here to help.
- “It’s my country. I have a duty, an obligation, and a responsibility to do so, and I will.”
Adesina says Tinubu’s reforms are bearing fruit
Adesina said Nigeria’s international perception had improved, pointing to developments in foreign exchange availability, portfolio investment and inflation as indicators of progress.
He described the reforms as difficult but said they were beginning to produce results, while acknowledging that prices remained high.
- Adesina said more foreign exchange was available in the country than previously.
- He also pointed to an increase in portfolio investors coming into Nigeria.
- He said inflation was trending downwards, although the cost of goods and services remained high.
He added that rating agencies had assigned Nigeria stable and positive outlooks, which he cited as evidence of a change in how the country was viewed internationally.
- “These are very, very important, difficult reforms, but they are beginning to bear some fruits, quite some fruits,” Adesina said.
He added that the next phase should focus on translating stabilisation gains into structural transformation, economic growth and prosperity.
Adesina highlights AfDB’s support for Nigeria
Adesina also briefed Tinubu on his 10-year tenure as AfDB president, which ended after two terms, and the development finance institution’s support for Nigeria during that period.
He said the bank provided about $7 billion in financing to Nigeria between 2015 and 2025, compared with $11.1 billion in total financing since it began operations in the country in 1971.
- “I came to brief Mr President of all of the things that was achieved during my time, I also had the opportunity to discussion with him as regards the support of the AFDB to Nigeria during my time. The support of the AFDB to Nigeria between 2015 to 2025 (about $7b) was greater than in the 70s(was about $11b). And the President has been pleased with all the supports,” he said.
What you should know
In August 2027, Adesina revealed that the AfDB and its partners had mobilised $2.2 billion to implement the second phase of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) initiative across 24 states in Nigeria.
- The funding is intended to support the expansion of the initiative, which aims to transform agriculture through value-chain development and industrialisation.
- Adesina recalled that the bank and its partners had supported the launch of the first phase in eight locations: Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kwara, Kano and the Federal Capital Territory.
A former Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Adesina said the initiative would support food security, boost domestic production and create thousands of jobs.
