It is such a great honor to be awarded the prestigious Sunhak Peace Prize. I am grateful to the Committee members of the Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation and the thousands of nominators around the world for their confidence and recognition. I am humbled that my contributions over the years are being recognized.

My entire life is dedicated to helping others, to creating hope and lifting millions out of poverty into wealth.

Development must be fast tracked in Africa. We must not accept the poverty we see around us as normal. Instead, we must keep looking for ways to help as many people as possible to come out of poverty. We must bring future hope to the present for our people through greater accountability and good governance.

As we create wealth for the poor, especially those in rural areas, they will be food secure, and have improved qualities of life.

This prize will inspire me to do even more towards ending world hunger and giving hope to millions of people, especially the poor. A food secure world, will be a peaceful world.

Thank you once again, for this unexpected and great honor.

June 8, 2015

Akinwumi A. Adesina

President, African Development Bank Group

Abidjan, Ivory Coast

November 16, 2018