Buhari, Okonjo-Iweala to speak at Lagos ‘Ehingbeti’ economic summit

President Muhammadu Buhari and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former minister of finance, are among dignitaries expected to speak at this year’s edition of ‘Ehingbeti’ — Lagos economic summit.

The three-day summit is expected to hold virtually, and will hold from February 9-11.

The summit which is a product of public-private sector partnership between Lagos state government and Business Club Ikeja has its theme as “For a Greater Lagos: Setting The Tone For The Next Decade.”

A release on the summit said 150 speakers, drawn from across the world would speak on various themes.

“The 3-day summit, which is structured into segments, will have subject experts speak on specific themes such as “Destination Lagos: Becoming the World’s Best Investment Destination”, “Eko to the World: Shaping the Future of Trade and Economic Independence”, “Lagos, the Industrial Hub”, “Made in Lagos: Shaping the Future of Media, Entertainment, Culture and Tourism”, “Security, Law and Order (Balancing Regulation and Economic Growth)” and Citizens Participation in Governance,” the release read.

“Themes to be discussed at the conference include “The Role of Transparency, Institutional Effectiveness and Accountability in Governance”, “4th Industrial Revolution: The imperatives and prospects for Digital Economy”, “Digital Transformation for Smart Cities”, “Unleashing Disruptive Innovation for Development”, Shaping the Future of Governance with Technology” and Roadmap to Shared Prosperity – Ensuring Inclusive Human Development.

“Our realities from 2000 when the first Ehingbeti held, exactly 20 years ago, have significantly changed. As a state, we now have to cater to the infrastructural needs of more than 22million population and ensure that Lagos remains on the path of continuous growth” said Sam Egube, Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget and Co-Chair of Ehingbeti.

“These considerations are the groundwork of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration THEMES Agenda, but translating the agenda to benefits for our people will require collaborations amongst stakeholders, and a determination to deepen the foundation for sustainable development and growth of our society. So, Ehingbeti 2020 offers us a platform to address all these.”

Speakers expected to speak includes, Mo Ibrahim, founder and chair, Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, Ben Akabueze, director-general, budget office of the federation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Nigerian minister of finance, Akinwunmi Adesina, president, African Development Bank (ADB), Amina Mohammed, United Nation’s deputy secretary general and Mohammed Yahaya, UNDP resident representative.

Others are Muhammadu Buhari, president of Nigeria, Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Lagos, Catriona Laing, British high commissioner to Nigeria, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, Obafemi Hamzat, deputy governor of Lagos, Mudashiru Obasa, speaker, Lagos state house of assembly, Jordi Borrut Bel, managing director, Nigerian Breweries, Pat Utomi, Centre for Values in Leadership and Yinka David-West, academic director, Lagos Business School.

Also on the list are Ayoola Olukanni, director-general, NACCIMA, Muda Yusuf, director general, Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Mo Abudu, founder, Ebony Life TV, Bolanle Austen-Peters, founder, Terra Culture, Ojoma Ochai, director, Creative Arts (West Africa).

Ehingbeti is an ingenuous socio-economic apparatus that has contributed significantly to the evolution of Lagos state into a major economy in sub-Saharan Africa and an admirable megacity, with expanding potentials. It is a public-private sector roundtable that started as a collaborative effort between Lagos state government and Business Club Ikeja.