Former President of the African Development Bank Group, Akinwumi Adesina, has declared that his service to Africa remains “a mission for life,” as he dedicated his African Lifetime Achievement Award to Nigeria and the continent during a ceremony in Accra, Ghana.

Speaking at the African Heritage Awards on Saturday, in the presence of Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama and other continental leaders, Adesina framed his journey not as one of personal accomplishment, but of continental responsibility and purpose. He also urged a shift from aid to structured investment.

Contained in his acceptance speech made available to journalists via his media office, he said, “I do not serve Africa for applause; I serve Africa as a mission. Serving Africa is a lifetime calling.”

He described Africa as a continent no longer defined by promise alone, but by measurable economic transformation, citing projections from the International Monetary Fund that the continent will record about 4.2 per cent GDP growth in 2026, making it the fastest-growing region globally.

According to him, this trajectory reflects a deeper structural shift rather than a temporary recovery.

“This is not cyclical recovery. This is structural revaluation,” he said. “Africa is not just growing. Africa is compounding.”

Adesina pointed to the rise of major African enterprises, including the Dangote Group, MTN Group, Safaricom, and Jumia, as evidence that the continent is already producing globally competitive economic actors.

“These are not exceptions,” he said. “They are signals of scale, resilience, and readiness. Africa is no longer a promise. Africa is an investable reality.”

He further stressed Africa’s strategic role in the global energy transition, noting that the continent holds roughly 30 per cent of the world’s critical mineral reserves, yet attracts less than five per cent of related global investment. He described this gap not as risk, but as “mispricing” of African assets.

Adesina further highlighted efforts to reposition Africa within global capital markets through the Global Africa Investment Summit (GAIS), a platform he co-founded to connect African sovereign assets with long-term institutional investors.

“This is not aid. This is not sentiment. This is not charity,” he said. “This is alpha.”

However, the most emotional moment of his address came as he turned to personal reflection, dedicating the award to Nigeria and acknowledging the country’s foundational role in his life and career.

“Nigeria gave me my beginning,” he said. “It gave me an opportunity when opportunity was not guaranteed. In every season of my service, Nigeria was not behind me; it was within me.”

He expressed gratitude to successive Nigerian leaders, including former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, whom he credited as a key mentor in leadership and service.

In a closing reflection that drew strong applause, Adesina returned to a theme that has defined his public life: Africa’s destiny and identity.

“Africa is not waiting to be discovered,” he declared. “Africa is already shaping the global future.”

He ended with a deeply personal affirmation of identity and purpose: “I will live as an African. I will die as an African, and I dedicate this honour to Africa, not as she was, not even as she is, but as she is destined to be.” (Nigerian Tribune)