PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has lauded the significant contribution of Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, in advancing Tanzania's key strategic projects.
In her speech delivered during the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership award ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria yesterday, President Samia said Tanzania is one of the African nations greatly benefitting from Dr Adesina's dynamic leadership.
"Thanks to his extraordinary ability to work with people and get things done, Tanzania has seen significant progress in various sectors over the past eight years," President Samia remarked.
She highlighted AfDB's substantial investments under Dr Adesina's stewardship in energy, transport, agriculture, water and sanitation, and infrastructure for regional connectivity. President Samia underscored the pivotal role of Dr Adesina's leadership in securing financial support for Tanzania's ambitious Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project, which aims to link Tanzania with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi.
"This reckons to African Agenda 2063, which advocates for economic interconnectedness and people's connectivity to ensure free movement of goods and services in the region," she said.
The prestigious 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership was awarded to Dr Adesina, following a rigorous selection process by a panel of distinguished Nigerians. Established to honour the legacy of the late Nigerian leader Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the prize celebrates excellence in leadership.
President Samia described Dr Adesina as a visionary leader with an unwavering commitment to Africa's development and commended his passionate advocacy for agriculture and efforts to ensure food security across the continent.
She highlighted Dr Adesina's role in convening the 2023 Feed Africa Summit which brought together leaders to address food security challenges.
President Samia emphasised Dr Adesina's collaborative approach to leadership, noting his ability to engage with diverse stakeholders, including heads of state, government officials, private sector leaders, and civil society organisations, to advance Africa's interests globally.
Acknowledging Dr Adesina's transformative impact on the AfDB, President Samia praised his dedication to fostering innovative opportunities for youth empowerment, particularly in large-scale farming initiatives such as the "Building a Better Tomorrow" project in Tanzania.
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She also lauded Dr Adesina's profound dedication and described him as more than just the President of AfDB, but also a trusted ally and advocate for Africa's prosperity.
Dr Samia reaffirmed Tanzania's commitment to collaboration with the AfDB in realising transformative projects for the benefit of its citizens and the broader African continent.
"Dr Adesina is more than AfDB president, he is a dear brother who puts his heart fully into what he does. Facilitating, helping, supporting, advising and pushing to ensure every country succeeds, he is pushing," Dr Samia said. She added,
"It is for these and other reasons that Dr Adesina is highly respected in Tanzania and across Africa. My presence here today attests to the impactful contribution of transformative leadership in my own country Tanzania," Other AfDB supported projects in Tanzanian include the Centre of Excellence for Cardiovascular Science, the Dodoma City Outer Ring Road Project, the Africa Fertiliser Financing Mechanism (AFFM) and the construction of the Msalato International Airport in Dodoma to mention a few.
