The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has removed its description of the newly elected President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Akinwumi Adesina as ‘flamboyant.’
Adesina was re-elected as the President of the bank on Thursday.
“Flamboyant Nigerian banker Akinwumi Adesina has been re-elected chairman of the African Development Bank (AfDB) after weathering a political storm over allegations of corruption,” the news organisation reported on the re-election of Mr Adesina.
The correction came after the international media organisation received a heavy backlash from Nigerians and other Africans on social media over the usage of ‘flamboyant’.
Some Nigerians felt the use of the word ”Flamboyant” was to portray Adesina in a bad light. They took to the comment section to register their displeasure.
Subsequently, the news platform in a tweet posted on Friday evening, August 28, removed the word, said the use of the word “flamboyant” was “absolutely unintentional” They also explained that describing him as such was irrelevant to the news report.
We have removed the description of Dr Akinwumi Adesina as "flamboyant". We recognise this – absolutely unintentionally – may have caused offence, and is irrelevant to the story. We have also corrected his title to African Development Bank president.https://t.co/y3EQHN4coY
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) August 28, 2020