Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, and Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, will headline a high-level policy discussion focusing on repositioning Nigeria’s economy for a post-oil future. The policy conversation, scheduled for Tuesday in Abuja, is jointly organized by the Africa Programme of the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Abuja-based Agora Policy.
The event, expected to attract Nigeria’s top economic, political, academic, and policy leaders, will explore pathways for creating a robust and resilient financial future. Confirmed panelists include Aigboje Imoukhuede, former CEO of Access Bank; Dr. Shubham Chaudhuri, World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria; and Dr. Zainab Usman, Director of the Carnegie Africa Programme.
In addition to their roles as state governors, Soludo and El-Rufai bring extensive experience in Nigeria’s economic and governance policy arena. Soludo is a former Chief Economic Adviser to the President and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. At the same time, El-Rufai is the former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises and a member of the Economic Management Team and Policy Implementation Committee under General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
The event will also feature a presentation on the policy implications of Dr. Usman’s book, “Economic Diversification in Nigeria: The Politics of Building a Post-Oil Economy.” The discussion occurs amid global conversations about climate change, the transition from fossil fuels, Nigeria’s historical economic underperformance, and the country’s current economic challenges.