The former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ambassador (Prof) Ibrahim Agboola Gambari has accepted to deliver lecture at the Realnews 12th Anniversary Lecture, with the theme “Africa in World Shifting Geopolitics, Matters Arising on Democracy, Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Natural Resources”
Penpushing reports that Gambari made this known in a letter sent to the management of the online newspaper in an email dated April 27, 2024 adding that he is delighted to re-confirm his acceptance for the ceremony scheduled to hold Tuesday, November 19, 2024 in Lagos
The Publisher/Editor of the media outlet, Maureen Chigbo in a statement explained that the lecturer was former Nigeria’s longest serving Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1990 to 1999, under five Heads of State and Presidents, and Minister of External Affairs from 1984 to 1985.
Penpushing further reports that Chigbo added that Gambari served as Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria from 2020 to 2023, recalling that while at the United Nations (UN), he was the President of UNICEF in 1999 and became Under-Secretary-General and the first Special Adviser on Africa to Secretary-General Kofi Annan from 1999 to 2005.
The guest lecturer was the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political Affairs from 2005 to 2007 under Secretary-Generals Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-Moon, while his last appointment in the United Nations (UN) was from January 2010 to July 2012, when he was appointed by Ban Ki-Moon and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission as the Joint African Union-United Nations Special Representative for Darfur.
Penpushing also reports that he was born on 24 November, 1944, in Ilorin, Kwara State, attended attended King’s College, Lagos, and subsequently went to the London School of Economics where he bagged a B. Sc. (Economics) degree (1968) specialising in International Relations.
The diplomat later he got his M.A. (1970) and Ph.D. (1974) degrees from Columbia University, New York, United States in Political Science and International Relations, taught at the City University of New York before working at the University of Albany and subsequently at Ahmadu Bello University, in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Penpushing reports that from 1986 to 1989, he was a Visiting Professor at three universities in Washington, D.C.: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Georgetown University, and Howard University.
The former ambassador has equally been a research fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. and a resident scholar at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center, the Rockefeller Foundation-run center in Italy.
Penpushing further reports that he has authored many books and published articles in reputable journals in foreign policy and international relations, including the ‘Theory and Reality in Foreign Policy: Nigeria after Second Republic’.
The diplomat also served as the Minister for External Affairs between 1984 and 1985 under General Muhammadu Buhari’s military regime, after he was the Director General of The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
Penpushing also reports that the statement stated that the lecture will be chaired by Ms. Beatrice Eyong, United Nations (UN) Women’s Country Representative in Nigeria, who will also moderate the panel session.
‘Realnews, a general interest magazine, is an online publication that thrives on investigative journalism. We have expertise in reporting the oil and gas sector with its attendant environmental challenges’, the statement reads.
‘We aim to unearth exclusive stories about real people and the challenges they face in their day-to-day activities. We do this bearing in mind that government can only act to influence the lives of people positively if they are aware of their true situation. Hence, our objective is to use our investigative skills to ferret out information in the sectors we focus on and produce an unbiased report that will influence the government and decision-makers to take actions that will make society better’, Chigbo added.
‘Realnews is populated by seasoned journalists who believe strongly in the tenets and ethics of the profession. The online publication believes that journalism as the fourth Estate of the Realm can contribute its quota towards building a fair and just society where fundamental human rights are respected and citizens have the freedom to pursue their interests anywhere in the world without hindrance. Its editors have a combined experience of several decades in active journalism practice and are highly dedicated to serving humanity. Hence its motto: “For God and Humanity.”
Penpushing reports that the statement added that Realnews anniversary lecture Series was established to commemorate the best minds in the society and to tap from them to enrich the discourse in our national development.
‘The 11th Anniversary Lecture in 2023 on The Threats of Illicit Funds Flow to the African Economy was delivered by Dr. Edwin W. Harris Jr., Director-General, ECOWAS Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA)’.
‘The 10th Anniversary lecture in 2022 on “Drug Abuse among Youths in Africa: Implication for Nigerian Economy and 2023 Elections” was delivered by Brig General Buba Marwa, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA;
‘9th Anniversary Lecture of Realnews in 2021 was delivered by Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board on “Nigeria in the Unfolding Integration of the African Market: The Oil and Gas Perspective”;
‘2020 Eighth Anniversary Lecture of Realnews was delivered by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 on Managing COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa: The Nigeria Experience; Former President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana gave the 2019 Lecture on Beyond Politics: An Economic Narrative for West Africa while Prof. Mahmood Yakubu spoke on Political Transitions and Africa’s Economic Development: Preparations for Nigeria’s 2019 General Elections at the 2018 Lecture’.
‘The 2017 Fifth Anniversary Lecture on African Leadership in a Turbulent Era was delivered by Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former minister of Education and former World Bank Vice President. The 2016 Fourth Anniversary Lecture on Security and National Development in Plural Democratic Society was delivered by Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative to West Africa and Sahel’;
‘The 2015 Realnews Third Anniversary Lecture was delivered by Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on November 19, 2015, under the theme: It’s The Nigerian Economy, Stupid? The Second Realnews Anniversary Lecture on Nigerian Democracy: Getting it Right in 2014 was delivered by Professor Maurice Iwu, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’, Chigbo stated
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