Learning never ends Prudence is always a student Thoughts are always welcome The mind will always ask ... Here was my response to the learning event I recently attended: I was thoroughly enlightened by your brilliant keynote, though I had to hurry out to another scheduled task during the Q&A session. Owing to my penchant for the poor, despised, and excluded segments of society, I noticed when you referred to the smallholder farmers, to whom most of Nigeria owes her nutrition security, as 'illiterates'. These ignorant and unlearned ones may be 'illiterates" by Western education standards, but I sure think they have sufficiently commendable native sense to have remained productive throughout the ages. My stance: what we need to do is make them see their innate capacity to innovate and upgrade their productive capabilities, not cast aspersion on their little strengths. Inclusive systems of local governance can help here. My question is: how are DFIs like the AfDB work
