Your Excellencies, I wish on behalf of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to express my congratulations to the newly re-elected President of IFAD, Nigeria’s own son, Dr. Kanayo Nwanze.

Your re-election is a testimony to your remarkable leadership in shaping, managing and driving the affairs of this noble institution over the past four years since you became its President. Your unanimous re-election is a clear demonstration of the confidence of the international community in your leadership.

When you started as President, you set out with a vision to reduce poverty and expand income opportunities for the world’s farmers and rural population through agricultural development. You came to this task with an uncommon sense of purpose and passion, to transform IFAD into a world class institution able to adapt effectively to the changing challenges facing smallholder farmers globally, by creating a prosperity niche for them instead of managing their poverty.

Your leadership has made IFAD to stand out unique as a knowledge-driven organization developing innovative solutions for the world’s poor. IFAD  today  is a reference point and the ‘go-to-institution’ on global issues of agriculture and rural development.

You have transformed IFAD in a short period of time into a results-oriented and impact-driven organization. Your reforms on human resources and financial management have transformed IFAD into what many say is perhaps the most efficiently-run International Development Finance Institution in the world. You successfully negotiated the IFAD 9 Replenishment and the member states showed their confidence in you by pledging 25% more than the IFAD 8 replenishment. You increased the co-financing of projects by member states by 140 % to a total of 1.6 billion dollars. IFAD’s disbursement under your watch rose to a record 457.6 million dollars. You made IFAD friendly to its member states by expanding country presence to 40 country offices. Today, we don’t have to come to the home of IFAD in Rome. IFAD is in our homes.

The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria lauds the member states and the Governing Council for their strong support for the re-election of Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, following his nomination by Nigeria. Your positive response to our request for your country’s support for the re-election of Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, are highly appreciated. Your support is a reflection of the amity and solidarity that exist between our respective countries. It is also a clear demonstration of your own confidence in the quality of this outstanding global leader, who happens to be a son of Nigeria.

These are great times for Nigeria: we just won the Africa Nations Cup after 19 years. I am confident that Dr. Nwanze will continue to score more goals for IFAD, more goals for the rural poor, and more goals  especially for women and youths, and take IFAD to greater heights.

Mr. President, on behalf of my President (the one with the big P), I congratulate you and wish you God’s guidance in your second term. You can always count on the full support of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Now, let the work begin!