Kaberuka: is a call to action
Daily Trust African of the Year 2013 award winner Donald Kaberuka said last night the award was a call to action for further development of Africa.
Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and former Rwanda Minister of Finance, said this after he received the award at a ceremony held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
“I feel truly honored to be selected by the prestigious publication and its eminent advisory committee,” he said.
He said the award was a call to action for further development of Africa.
Kaberuka said for Africa to develop it has to move from its current five percent growth rate, as well as to ensure peace and stability, tackle inequality and create jobs.
He lamented that no country can achieve above five percent growth rate unless it overhauled its infrastructure.
Kaberuka is the sixth winner of the Daily Trust award. He was chosen in recognition of an innovative idea which led to the establishment of ‘Africa 50 Fund’.
The $50,000 award cheque was presented to him by Managing Director of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Mr Phillips Oduoza, and his predecessor Tony Elumelu, while the award plague was handed to him by the Deputy Senate President Ike Ikweremadu.
Some of the prominent guests at the event include Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, Finance Minister Ngozi OkonjoIweala, Central Bank Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, and Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission Ms. Aruma Oteh.
Others were representative of the Inspector General of Police, DIG Sulaiman Abba, and CBN deputy governor Suleiman Barau.
The event also attracted many banks executives, captains of industry, members of the diplomatic corps, media executives, among others.
The Daily Trust African of the Year Award was instituted in 2008 to recognise and reward exemplary Africans for their extraordinary contributions to human development in any part of the continent.
Past winners are Dr. Denis Mukwege of the Democratic Republic of Congo (2008), late pan-Africanist Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem of Nigeria (2009), Mr. Danny Jordaan of South Africa (2010), Niger Republic jurist Mrs. Fatimata Bazeye (2011) and former South African President Thabo Mbeki (2012).