Former President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, has paid tribute to former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on his 89th birthday, describing him as a father of Africa, courageous leader, defender of justice, and a guiding voice for the continent and the world.

In a birthday message released on Thursday, Adesina praised Obasanjo as a leader whose influence transcends generations and national borders, noting that his credibility and moral authority remain widely respected.
“President Obasanjo consistently demonstrates courage in speaking truth to power and engaging boldly in national and global debates,” Adesina said. “He steps boldly into the battlefields of ideas, unafraid to speak, unafraid to stand, and unafraid to be counted.”

The former AfDB president further described Obasanjo as a disciplined thinker and decisive leader, whose voice becomes especially crucial during moments of national and international crisis.
“When conflict rises and storms gather over nations, the world turns to voices of wisdom, and among those voices uniquely stands President Obasanjo,” he said.

Adesina also highlighted Obasanjo’s legacy as a soldier who endured the horrors of war and later emerged as a promoter of peace, reconciliation, and dialogue.
Drawing on a Yoruba proverb about the responsibility of elders to protect the young, Adesina said Obasanjo embodies the ideal elder who not only warns but actively guides society.

“The former president is an elder among elders, a reconciler of differences, and a defender of the weak,” Adesina said.
Beyond his public roles, Adesina described Obasanjo as a father figure to many across Nigeria, Africa, and the wider world, referring to him as “the Baba of Africa,” whose wisdom continues to guide younger generations.

“As you turn 89, we celebrate not only the years you have lived but the lives you have touched, the conflicts you have calmed, and the courage you have inspired,” he added, praying for continued strength, health, and vitality for the former president.

Obasanjo served as Nigeria’s military Head of State from 1976 to 1979 and later as a democratically elected president from 1999 to 2007. He remains one of Africa’s most influential political figures and elder statesmen. He turned 89 on Wednesday.