DOHA: Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo (pictured) will be an honoured guest of Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) today to discuss ‘Nigeria’s evolving transformation’, exploring challenges and opportunities in his country’s efforts to steward and diversify its economy.
At the campus event open to the public, Obasanjo will highlight instructive insights from Qatar’s experience in investing natural resource wealth to transition from a hydrocarbon-based economy to a knowledge-based economy to examine what lessons Nigeria can learn from Qatar and what opportunities exist for collaborations. “It is an honour for Georgetown to host a former head of state of President Obasanjo’s calibre,” said Dr Gerd Nonneman, Dean, GU-Q.
“Two themes of enormous importance for the world and for us are the urgency for single-commodity economies to diversify in pursuit of sustainable development; and building and safeguarding national cohesion in countries of complex ethnic and religious make-up.
“Obasanjo’s experience and insights into challenges and opportunities for Nigeria, in such efforts, are valuable for all those concerned with the issues, not least at GU-Q where our students and professors continuously engage with such questions.”
Obasanjo served as Nigeria’s military head of state from 1976 to 1979. He was popularly elected president for two consecutive terms from 1999 to 2003 and 2003 to 2007. His tenure at the helm of a democratic government ushered in a commitment to the rule of law and crucial political reform.
In 2008, Obasanjo was appointed by the United Nations as a special envoy to mediate in conflict situations around the continent, including Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and South Sudan. He is called upon regularly to oversee democratic elections on behalf of the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States in countries the continent. He is a member of Club de Madrid, an independent non-profit promoting democracy and change in the international community. He has also been a catalyst for driving Africa’s economic transformation.The Peninsula
