Why 23rd Daily Trust examined Nigeria’s 26 years of democracy – Mannir Dan-Ali

A Director of the Media Trust Group, Mannir Dan-Ali, explained why the organisers of 23rd Daily Trust Annual Dialogue resolved to critically assess Nigeria’s 26 years of uninterrupted democratic rule.

Dan-Ali, in his welcome address at the annual dialogue, said the theme, ‘Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: What is Working and What is Not’, was deliberately selected to encourage honest and wide-ranging conversations about the country’s longest stretch of civilian governance since independence in 1960.

He said for 23 years, the Daily Trust Annual Dialogue had remained committed to interrogating critical political, economic and social questions confronting Nigeria.

Dan-Ali, a former Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Trust newspaper, said this year’s theme allowed the forum to take a bird’s-eye view of an unprecedented 26 full years of civilian rule.

He added that the dialogue was not intended to pass blanket judgment on Nigeria’s democracy but to provide a platform for informed voices to identify what has worked for the country and what has failed to deliver for its citizens.

Dan-Ali expressed confidence that the speakers and participants included key “dramatis personae” of the Fourth Republic, whose experiences and perspectives could enrich the national conversation and help clarify the gains and shortcomings of the Nigeria’s democratic journey.

He said, “Since this event started 23 years ago, we have always sought to interrogate some of the important matters of the day, be they political, economic, or social.

“For this year, the organising committee of the dialogue eventually settled on the theme of today’s event because of the way it seeks to take a bird’s eye view of our unprecedented 26 full years of civilian rule, the longest since our Independence in 1960.

“It is our hope that the event will try to make sense of what is working and what is not working for Nigeria and Nigerians in the current republic. It is our hope that seated in this hall are an impressive number of the dramatis personae of this republic that could give us their take on the question posed earlier on the 4th Republic.”

He also paid tribute to guests who had consistently attended the annual dialogue since its inception, describing their sustained participation as a testament to the forum’s relevance.

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