El-Rufai, Nnenna Ukeje, Sunday Dare to assess 4th Republic’s progress

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, is among three renowned personalities who will evaluate the improvements recorded by Nigeria under the current Fourth Republic at the 23rd Daily Trust Dialogue, scheduled for Thursday. The two other lead speakers confirmed for the event are Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, who chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee of the 7th and 8th House of Representatives, and Mr. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication.

A statement signed by Ahmed I. Shekarau, Chief Executive Officer of the Media Trust Group, owners of Daily Trust, Trust TV and other notable news platforms, said the event, with the theme Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: What Is Working and What Is Not, will hold at the NAF Conference Centre and Suites, Abuja.

According to the statement, the three guest speakers were chosen for their pedigree and sound knowledge of the Nigerian socio-economic and political environment, and would delve into events that have shaped democratic governance since the country’s return to civil rule in 1999. They are expected to highlight the gains and failures recorded over the years, offer perspectives on how to consolidate the successes and bridge noticeable gaps.

The one-day event, which is to be chaired by former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, is expected to be graced by numerous distinguished personalities, including leading political figures, captains of industry, economic and security experts, as well as leaders of women and youth forums, said the statement. Among the leading political figures expected are the chairmen of the country’s major political parties. Serving senators and members of the House of Representatives, former governors, former lawmakers, and members of the diplomatic community in Nigeria.

About the guest speakers

Until 2023, El-Rufai had been at the helm of governance since 1999 in different capacities at both the federal and state levels. He was the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) from 1999 to 2003. He was then appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory from 2003 to 2007. He contested and won the governorship election in Kaduna State in 2015 and was reelected in 2019.

El-Rufai earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Quantity Surveying with first-class honours from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where he also bagged a Master of Business Administration, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science in 1984 and 1985, respectively.

In 2008, the ex-minister received a Law Degree from the University of London and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University the following year. He also bagged the Kennedy School Certificate in Public Policy and Management, having spent 11 months as an Edward A. Mason Fellow in Public Policy and Management from July 2008 to June 2009.

Hon. Ukeje graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of Lagos and worked in the hospitality industry before joining politics. She represented Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State, in the green chamber from 2007 to 2011, and served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs throughout her two terms.

As a parliamentarian, she was actively involved in the passage of several bills, including those related to Public Officers’ Protection, Minimum Wage, Broadcasting Anti-trust Legislation, Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism, Asset Forfeiture in Criminal Matters, Foreign Assistance in Criminal Matters, Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, and Non-Discrimination against People Living with Disabilities.

Mr Dare, a seasoned journalist turned politician, served as Minister of Youth and Sports from 2019 to 2023 and was Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). He earned a BSc in International Studies from ABU in 1991 and obtained a Master’s in Law and Diplomacy at the University of Jos in 1996. He was a Freedom Forum Fellow and Visiting Scholar at the School of Journalism at New York University (NYU) in 1998, and pursued Media and Public Policy Studies as a Nieman Journalism Fellow at Harvard University from 2000 to 2001.

Mr Dare was awarded the Reuters Foundation Journalism Research Fellowship at the University of Oxford in 2011 and conducted research using New Media tools and Citizen Journalism to investigate corruption in Nigeria.

Since its inception in 2004, the Daily Trust Dialogue has featured notable personalities such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida; former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; former Chief Justices of Nigeria (while in office); former Senate Presidents (while in office); former Speakers of the House of Representatives (while in office); state governors, senators and members of the House of Representatives, ministers, members of the diplomatic corps and captains of industry, among others.

Guests from across Africa were former President of Botswana, His Excellency, Mr. Festus Mogae; former President of Ghana, Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings; Tanzania’s ex-Prime Minister, Dr. Salim Ahmed; the late Mrs. Winnie Mandela of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle; Dr. Mo Ibrahim of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, and Mrs. Samia Nkrumah, daughter of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s former president and reputable pan-African nationalist.

Interested guests can register for the event via this link: https://bit.ly/4qBmCGN or physically at the venue.

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