By David Nwachukwu
On Tuesday, 9th May 2023, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Agora Policy jointly hosted a high-level and well-attended symposium in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city. The event, which was held at the upscale Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, focussed on “How Nigeria Can Build a Post Oil Future”.
It attracted an array of political and policy actors, including notable government officials, business leaders, academics, media and civil society leaders, diplomats, and development partners.
The welcome remark was delivered by the founder of Agora Policy, Mr. Waziri Adio, and this followed by a presentation by Dr. Zainab Usman of the highlights of her latest book “Economic Diversification in Nigeria: The Politics of Building a Post-Oil Economy”. Both remarks framed the robust and frank discussions that followed in the panel session, the special interventions, and the interactive question and answer session.
Moderated by Mrs. Nancy Illoh-Nnaji, presenter of Moneyline with Nancy, the panel session featured: Professor Charles Soludo, governor of Anambra State; Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State; Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of Coronation Capital and Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation; Dr. Shubham Chaudhuri, World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria; and Dr. Zainab Usman, Director of the Carnegie Africa Programme.
Special interventions were offered by Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II; Dr. Kayode Fayemi, immediate past governor of Ekiti State and former chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum; Mrs. Maryam Uwais, Special Adviser to the President on Social Intervention; and Prof. Ode Ojowu, former Chief Economic Adviser to the President.
Other notable personalities at the event included: Dr. Dasuki Arabi, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR); Mr. Olawale Edun, former Commissioner of Finance in Lagos State; Mr. Zack Adedeji, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Sugar Development Council; Dr. Shamshudeen Usman, former Minister of Finance and National Planning; Dr. Aliyu Modibbo, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory; Retired Justice Mairo L. Muhammed (Dr. Zainab Usman’s mum); Hon. Abdul Oroh, former Executive Director of CLO and former Member of House of Representatives; Hon. John Alims Agoda, former member of the House of Representatives Dr. Alex Sienaert, World Bank’s Lead Economist in Nigeria; Ms. Debbie Isser, Lead Governance Specialist (Africa) at the World Bank; Ms. Barbara Barungi, former Lead Economist for AfDB in Nigeria; Ms. Marija Peran, the country representative of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung/KA; Mr. Martin Folliasson, the Economic Attache to the French Embassy.
Other dignitaries at the event included: Hon Justice Ishaq Usman Bello, Former Chief Justice FCT; Justice Binta Fatima Zubairu, a judge in the Kaduna State Judiciary; Mr. Musikilu Mojeed, Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times; Mr. Tolu Ogunlesi, Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media; Mr. Ismaeel Ahmed, Special Assistant on National Social Investments Programme; Mr. Umar Yakubu, Founder of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency & Integrity Watch; The French Treasury in Nigeria and Mr Kwaw Andam, Country Programme Leader at the International Food Policy Research Institute; Mr. Stanley Achonu, Country Director of One Campaign; Mr. Japheth Omojuwa, founder of Alpha Reach; Mr. Joshua Olufemi, Founder of Dataphyte; and Dr. Tobi Oloruntoba, Executive Director of CJID.
Below are some of the pictures from the event …
