Akinwumi Adesina, head of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has explained recent remarks regarding Nigeria.
In an interview with Arise Television three days ago, Adesina stated that he is available for national service whenever his time at the bank expires.
He stated that he is willing to serve in whatever role, whether globally, in Africa, or in his native country.
“I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country, Nigeria,” he had said.
The former agriculture minister’s words aroused significant conjecture, with some sectors of the press suggesting that he is considering running for president in 2027.
In a Thursday post on X, Adesina claimed that his words had been misconstrued.
“A segment of my recent interview on Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets,” he said.
“What I said was, ‘I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country’.
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria.”
Adesina was first elected to lead the AfDB in 2015. He secured a second term at the bank in 2020.