The World Food Prize Honors Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina was awarded the 2017 World Food Prize Award at the Iowa State Capitol last night in Des Moines, Iowa. The ceremony rivals that of the Nobel Prize, drawing over 800 people from more than 50 countries. Watch live today as Dr. Akinwumi gives is official Laureate Address at 12:15 p.m. at www.worldfoodprize.org/live.

The 2017 World Food Prize was formally awarded to Dr. Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria during the ceremony. The ceremony took place during the 2017  Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium, themed, "The Road Out of Poverty." At the end of his acceptance speech, Dr. Adesina announced what he would do with the quarter of a million dollars awarded.

"I hereby commit my two hundred and fifty thousand U.S. dollars, that's a quarter of a million dollars, World Food Prize Award, to set up a fund fully dedicated to providing grants, fellowships, and financing, for the youth of Africa in agriculture as a business," said Dr. Adesina.  

Each year, world-class performers take the stage to honor the World Food Prize Laureate. Past performers have included Ray Charles, John Denver, Chachi Tadesse, and Kathak Gunjan. Following the Ceremony, the celebration continues at the Laureate Award Dinner, held in the Capitol Rotunda.

This year the World Food Prize had the pleasure of hosting Nigerian performers Adunni and Nefertiti, as well as Dr. Adesina’s favorite singer, Omawumi.

Dr. Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), was announced as the recipient of this award in June 28, 2017. Through his roles over the past two decades with the Rockefeller Foundation, at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and as Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria, Dr. Adesina has been at the forefront of galvanizing political will to transform African agriculture through initiatives to: expand agricultural production, thwart corruption in the Nigerian fertilizer industry and exponentially increase the availability of credit for smallholder farmers across the African continent.

Upon receiving his award during the ceremony, Dr. Adesina gave a moving speech.
Dr. Adesina stated, “I am honored to win World Food Prize 2017, known as Nobel Prize for Agriculture. Thanks all for your support. We've set sail to feed Africa!”

THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE: The World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The Prize was founded in 1986 by Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize. Since then, the World Food Prize has honored 46 outstanding individuals who have made vital contributions throughout the world. The World Food Prize annually hosts the Borlaug Dialogue international symposium and a variety of youth education programs to help further the discussion on cutting-edge global food security issues and inspire the next generation to end hunger. 

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