BY MICHAEL EBOH
Key stakeholders in the Nigerian economy and the financial sector, led by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido and the Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga are set to parley and explore ways to attract foreign investors, agricultural development, employment generation and increase in the country’s internally generated revenue.

According to a statement announcing a one-day conference with the theme: ‘Development from global perspectives: Agriculture versus oil and gas,’ organized by Muregi Associates, in addition to Sanusi and Aganga, representatives from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum are expected to participate in developing a framework for fast tracking Nigeria’s economic development.

Speaking on the conference, Mr. Hussaini Mohammed, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Muregi Associates, said the conference, billed for September 26 in Abuja, is targeted at intellectual capacity building and deepening financial policy formulation and implementation in the real sector of Nigeria and emerging economies.

He said, “You are very much aware of the devastating impact of the global financial crisis, which has abated but certainly is far from over. The impact of this crisis is still very much felt within our own financial institutions, in spite of our initial denial of its effect on our financial system.”

Mohammed noted that the conference would assist participants understand current economic policy formulation and management, appreciate the roles of both agriculture and oil and gas as mutually inclusive institutions in nation building and appreciate the current development initiatives from other jurisdictions, based on the speakers’ experiences and knowledge.

According to him, the seminar will help participants develop a network of committed investors to the states, create new opportunities and partnerships for indigenous and foreign investors/businesses, build capacity in various sectors of governance, address the perennial problem He pointed out that participants would also gain knowledge on how to improve agricultural production, employment generation and on improving the much talked about internal revenue generation of the state, among other objectives.

At the end of the conference, government will be in a better position to explore ways of attracting foreign investment for economic development to the states, and also improving agricultural production and creating new opportunities and partnership for indigenous and foreign investors/businesses for building confidence in our economy,” he said.

The statement noted that Professor Francis Fukuyama, one of the world’s most renowned development strategists and author of several books, including The End of History, will present a paper on ‘Development from Global Perspectives’ with focus on the key issues of governance, leadership and the prosperity of nations.

while former Dean, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Benin, Professor Bob Osazee, will be speaking on ‘Agriculture Versus Oil and Gas’.

Osazee was an adviser to the Director-general, Securities and Exchange Commission and has served in the same capacity in several institutions on strategy and implementation. The statement added that the conference will be chaired by Ibrahim Gambari, Under Secretary General United Nations (UN).