GBENRO ADESINA/IBADAN

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General to the Commonwealth and a leading authority on Nigerian affairs, Professor Richard Joseph of the Northwestern University, United States of America, will lead a pack of academics, scholars and activists to discuss the Nigerian challenges in democracy, economy and society.

Under the aegis of an international conference with the theme “Getting government to work for democracy and development: an agenda for change”, which holds at the International Conference Centre, Ibadan, on February 1 and 2, 2016, the former president will lead other scholars to discuss the way out of the logjams.

The conference, a maiden effort of the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy, according to its Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, will seek to fill in the noticeable missing gaps in governance and public policies.

According to the release, Professor Joseph, writer of the authoritative book on Nigeria’s Second Republic entitled Nigeria and Prebendal Politics, will be delivering a paper on State and democratic development in Africa: The Nigerian challenge, while the governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, the Pro-Chancellor of the Pan-Atlantic University, Dr. Christopher Kolade, former Head of Service of the Federation, Professor Oladapo Afolabi, Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka and Professor Shuaib Ibrahim, President of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) will be delivering goodwill messages at the conference.

The release further stated that one of the issues that the conference will deliberate upon is one with the title, The economy: What is to be done, with economic experts like Professor Osita Ogbu, professor of economics and Director, Institute of Development, Professor Akin Iwayemi, ex-President, Institute of Development Studies, Professor Pat Utomi, Dr. Ayo Teriba and Professor D. O. Ajakaiye, former DG NISER as discussants.

Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said the release, will also lead other discussants to discuss Infrastructure, National Asset Management and National Productivity, alongside former Minster of Communication Technology, Dr (Mrs) Omobola Johnson and Dr. Imonitie Imoisil.

Professor Tade Aina of the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), Professor Amadu Sesay, Professor Alaba Ogunsanwo, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, Professor Adele Jinadu, Professor Tunde Adeniran, poet Odia Ofemun and Professor A. L. Mabogunje, are some of the leading scholars expected at the two-day conference.