By Irene Gaitirira
Published January 31, 2016
Business, political, academia and civil society leaders are expected to converge in the Nigerian commercial capital, Lagos, for a two-day conference.
“This year’s Nigeria Summit will bring together more than 350 participants drawn from different walks of life including Nigeria’s public and private sectors, international business players and investors for discussion on what the future holds for Nigeria,” Jonathan Rosenthal, Africa Editor at The Economist, says.
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The change witnessed in governance and in the socio-economic life of the people over the past nine months of Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidency is expected to form part of the discussion.
Also slated for discussion is how economic growth can improve security; strategies for placing economic growth at the heart of Nigeria’s effort to unite the country; how Nigeria can achieve economic diversification away from oil; overcome challenges and reduce official corruption; create jobs for its youth; reduce poverty and improve the purchasing power of the citizens.
Being at the heart of the continent’s economic renaissance, speakers will also be expected to review Nigeria’s role on the African continent as well as on a global stage. The 11th edition of the annual Nigeria Summit, held on the theme, The Dawn of A New Day?, shall discuss and debate Nigeria’s economic direction.
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“The summit,†says a media statement from The Economist, “will examine and review the various opportunities and challenges that Nigeria is facing in view of her first democratic power transfer and the implications of the global macro-economic forces which are being shaped by the dramatic fall in oil prices, the mainstay of the Nigerian economy.”
Among the speakers at the event shall be Prof Yemi Osinbajo (Vice-president, Federal Republic of Nigeria); Alhaji Aliko Dangote (President and Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Group and Chairman Dangote Foundation); Danladi Verheijen (Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Verod); Herbert Wigwe (Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank); and Okechukwu Enelamah (Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Nigeria).
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Other speakers and panelists are Bob Diamond (Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Merchant Capital); Alhaji Kashim Shettina (Governor, Borno State, Nigeria); Franklin Cudjoe (Founding President and Chief Executive Officer, IMANI); Philip Lindop (Head of Africa Banking, Barclays Africa Group); Fola Laoye (Chairman, Hygeia Group); Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al Makura (Governor, Nasarawa State, Nigeria); Chief Willie Obiano (Governor, Anambra State, Nigeria); Onno Schellekens (Chief Executive Officer, Pharm Access Group); Issam Darwish (Executive Vice-chairman & Chief Executive Officer, HIS); Adebola Williams (Co-Founder, RED); and Chief Eric Umeofia (President and Chief Executive Officer, Erisco Foods Limited).
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Nigeria Summit is part of The Economist’s high-growth markets series of events; it has become one of the leading events in Africa where business, government and ideas people meet.
The Summit shall be co-chaired by Rosenthal and Edward Carr (Deputy Editor, The Economist). The overall aim of the summit shall be to “explore the economic and social progress made to date and take an in-depth look at what the future will hold for Africa’s biggest economy.”
