Akinwunmi Adesina set to receive Africa’s highest lifetime award

Renowned African development economist and immediate past President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, is set to receive the prestigious African Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 edition of the African Heritage Awards in Ghana.

According to a statement from Dr. Adesina’s media office, the high-profile ceremony, scheduled for April 11, will see Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, formally present the award in recognition of Adesina’s decades-long contributions to economic transformation, agricultural innovation, and sustainable development across Africa.

Organisers described Adesina as a “visionary leader whose work has significantly advanced Africa’s development agenda and improved the lives of millions,” pointing to his transformative leadership during his tenure at the African Development Bank.

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Under his stewardship, the Bank’s flagship “High 5s” agenda, which focused on lighting up and powering Africa, feeding Africa, industrialising the continent, integrating economies, and improving quality of life, unlocked major investments in infrastructure, food security, and energy access, reshaping development trajectories across regions.

Adesina’s recognition in Ghana adds fresh lustre to an already glittering gallery of global honours. In 2017, he clinched the World Food Prize, widely regarded as the “Nobel Prize for Agriculture” for pioneering reforms that revolutionised Nigeria’s agricultural sector during his tenure as Minister of Agriculture. Over the years, he has also earned multiple international distinctions and honorary doctorates, cementing his reputation as one of Africa’s most influential voices in development finance, food systems transformation, and climate resilience.

The African Heritage Awards will also spotlight other distinguished personalities, including Dame Marcella Liburd, a seasoned jurist and current Governor-General of Saint Kitts and Nevis, recognised for her contributions to governance, law, and social advancement.

Another honouree is Antoinette Monsio Sayeh, a globally respected economist who serves as Deputy Managing Director at the International Monetary Fund, with an extensive career spanning leadership roles at the World Bank and her service as Liberia’s Minister of Finance, where she spearheaded key economic reforms.

Over the years, the African Heritage Awards have celebrated some of the continent’s most influential figures. Past recipients include former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, Director-General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and President Mahama himself, underscoring the platform’s growing stature as a premier stage for recognising excellence, leadership, and enduring impact across Africa.

This year’s ceremony is expected to draw an array of high-level dignitaries, policymakers, and development experts from across the continent and beyond, positioning Ghana at the epicentre of conversations on leadership, innovation, and Africa’s future.

The media office says Adesina’s latest honour transcends ceremony: it is a defining affirmation of a legacy forged through bold reforms, visionary leadership, and an unyielding commitment to Africa’s economic transformation and shared prosperity.