By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The immediate past president of Kenya, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta; former Liberian President, George Weah and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar are expected at this year’s Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) Democracy Dialogue in Benin City, Edo State.
In a statement made available to Journalists in Benin by Wealth Dickson Ominabo, the Executive Director, GJF, Ms Ann Iyonu, disclosed that this year’s Dialogue, the third in the series, will be hosted by the founder and former Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and co-hosted by the governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.
Other personalities expected at the annual event themed ‘Functional Education, Effective Political Leadership as a Panacea to Africa’s Growth and Development,’ are former Vice President of Zambia, Dr. Nevers Mumba and the head of the UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa, Njoya Tikum.
Expected as a keynote speaker is Prof. Olubayi Olubayi, a seasoned educationist, Chief Academic Officer at Maarifa Education, a Kenya based Pan-African company that owns private universities across Africa and former Vice Chancellor of the International University of East Africa (IUEA) in Uganda.
Iyonu added that the event scheduled to hold in Benin, the Edo State capital on June 13, 2024, is designed to “bring together a cross-section of key political leaders, policymakers, and experts from across the continent who will be examining the critical role of education and effective political leadership recruitment in the actualisation of the development aspirations of African nations.”
She reiterated that this year’s Dialogue follows the 2023 edition which explored the interface between democracy and development.
Recall that the 2023 edition of the Democracy Dialogue explored the interface between democracy and development where P.L.O. Lumumba, a dynamic and vocal Kenyan Professor of law and former director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission delivered a keynote address in Bayelsa State.
