Former Ghanaian President John Mahama and Dr Mansur Muhtar, Vice President, Country Operations, Islamic Development Bank and former Nigerian Finance Minister, among others, have arrived in Lagos from Accra Ghana and Jedda, Saudi Arabia, for the 7th Anniversary Lecture of Realnews Magazine slated for Tuesday, November 19, at Sheraton Hotels, Lagos. Mahama arrived Lagos on Monday and will deliver the lecture.

“Beyond Politics: An Economic Narrative for West Africa” is the main topic of the Lecture with “The End of Oil: Wither the Nigeria Economy” as the sub-theme.

Maureen Chigbo, publisher of Realnews online Magazine, said: “Our choice of the 2019 topic and sub-theme was informed by the need to escalate and broaden the conversation on the economic challenges facing the region with Nigeria as its economic powerhouse, and Africa in general, with a view to teasing out lasting solutions and against the background of the recently endorsed Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).

Mahama’s impressive antecedent and vast experience in governance and leadership in policy formation and implementation across disciplines, including agriculture, communications, environment and politics, puts him in a good stead to do justice to the topic, especially at this critical juncture of West Africa’s struggles on the path to regional development and integration.

With Muhtar, Vice President, Country Operations, Islamic Development Bank and former Nigerian finance Minister as Chairman, this year’s annual lecture will bring together policy and decision makers from the private and public sectors, academia and civil society, including the media. Muhtar will also speak on “The End of Oil: Wither the Nigeria Economy”.

Like in previous occasions, it will also feature a stimulating Panel Discussion by experts with guaranteed audience participation. The panelists are Mr. Alex Ayoola Okoh, director general, Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, and Mrs. Margaret Olele, chief executive officer of American Business Council.

Born in Damongo in the Damango-Daboya Constituency of Northern region of Ghana, into a political leadership tradition, Mahama is the first President of Ghana to be born after the country’s independence.

A former Minister of State and Member of Parliament, he studied history and communications in Ghana with a major in social psychology in his postgraduate education in Moscow, the former Soviet Union.

Realnews past anniversary lecturers include Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nigeria INEC, (2018); Dr (Mrs) Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education and Vice President, World Bank (2017), Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head, United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (2016); Professor Chukwuma Soludo, former Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, (2015), and Professor Maurice Iwu, former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, (2014).

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