Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, delivered a commencement address to the Class of 2023 at Calvin University, Michigan, USA, on 29 April 2023. The speech, titled “Be God’s Instrument of Change,” urged graduates to become “builders and shapers of hope” and to be “change makers with a heart.” Dr. Adesina reflected on his own experiences as a foreign student at Purdue University and spoke about the importance of living for others and becoming an instrument of change. He also emphasized the importance of valuing real wealth over riches and highlighted the joy that can come from helping others.
Dr. Adesina started his speech by thanking President Wiebe Boer, the Board of Trustees, faculty, and students at Calvin University for inviting him to deliver the commencement address. He noted that he had known President Boer for many years and praised him as a decent, humble, and innovative leader who cares passionately about development.
Dr. Adesina then shared his personal connection to Calvin University, noting that the “spirit of Calvin” had touched him 40 years ago when he was a foreign student at Purdue University. He talked about how a professor, Dr. Delmar Broersma, had shown him the importance of letting Christ shine in every area of his life and how he had prayed to become an instrument of change.
Addressing the graduates, Dr. Adesina spoke about the importance of becoming God’s instrument of change in the world. He noted that the graduates had been well prepared academically and had overcome many challenges and hurdles to reach this point in their lives. He also acknowledged the support of families, professors, friends, colleagues, and fellow students who had helped them along the way.
Dr. Adesina then posed the question of what the purpose of life is, noting that the answer is simple: living for others. He emphasized that real wealth is not about acquiring riches but about touching the lives of others. He spoke about the joy that can come from helping those in need, such as lifting someone out of poverty or providing a child with the opportunity to go to school and have a world of opportunities opened to them.
Dr. Adesina then shared a personal story about his experiences as a foreign graduate student at Purdue University. He arrived in America in 1983 with only $750, and his scholarship from his home country was not paid. He had to survive on $750 for six months, with only $150 left after paying his rent. He walked several kilometers to school each day in the bitter cold and snow of Lafayette, Indiana, because he could not afford bus fares. Dr. Adesina shared his experience of economizing and valuing “value for money” in order to make ends meet.
Dr. Adesina then shared a touching story about how a small act of kindness changed his life. When he had just 25 cents left in the world and could not afford the bus fare, a bus driver kindly paid the balance of 25 cents for him. Later that day, Dr. John Connors, one of his professors, gave him $100 and offered to help him get an assistantship with another professor for his master’s degree. Dr. Connors then helped him get another assistantship for his PhD degree, which both professors paid for.
Dr. Adesina concluded his speech by encouraging the graduates to become instruments of change in the world. He urged them to use their talents, skills, and knowledge to make a positive difference in the lives of others. He reminded them that they had the power to change the world and that they could be builders and shapers of hope. Dr. Adesina’s inspiring speech left a lasting impression on the Class of 2022
