The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), an independent, non-partisan think tank organisation, has inaugurated nine new national economic advisory council members to strengthen its mission of fostering a sustainable, and globally competitive Nigerian economy.
The newly inaugurated council members are Osita Ogbu, Co-chair; Mohammad Sagagi, Co-chair; Friday Kanu Ohunche, senior policy and research consultant to AfDB; Risikat Oladoyin Dauda, professor of Economics at the University of Lagos.
The rest are Yemi Kale, group MD of research and Trade intelligence and group economist at the African Export-Import Bank; Jonathan Aremu, Aloysius Uche Ordu, member of monetary policy and CBN, Ummu Ahmed Jalingo, economist and academic; and Adedoyin Salami, MD/CEO of Kainos Edge Consulting Ltd.
According to a statement, the council was launched on Friday, August 16, 2024, at the NESG office in Abuja. It consisted of economic experts with research experience in African and Nigerian economic issues.
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“The council will convene quarterly to receive briefings on the Nigerian economy, deliberate on key findings and challenges, and provide strategic advice to the NESG on advocacy for short, medium, and long-term economic policy,” it said.
Additionally, the council will hold an annual retreat to evaluate and refine the NESG Research Agenda and assess its impact on NESG’s advocacy and reform activities.
“The council’s co-chair tenure is two years, renewable for two additional terms, upon review by the NESG board. Council members can have a term of three years, renewable for two additional terms upon review by the board,” the statement added.
Niyi Yusuf, chairman of NESG emphasised the urgency of inaugurating the Council in light of ongoing economic challenges.
“Nigeria has encountered various economic and political obstacles in recent years, underscoring the urgent need to redesign its systems and address structural issues. One of Nigeria’s pressing concerns is translating economic growth into improved lives and livelihoods for all its citizens,” he said.
He added the country grapples with income disparity, multidimensional poverty, and working poverty despite experiencing growth. These challenges are worsened by an uneven allocation of resources, macroeconomic instability, and institutional deficiencies
“With your support, the NESG will continue to lead the charge in economic policy advocacy, fostering an environment where the private sector can thrive and contribute to the nation’s development,” Yusuf added.
Further information about the council members
NESG NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS
Osita Ogbu
Ogbu is a professor of economics and former director of the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
He is the managing director/CEO of African Development Solutions International (ADSI), a knowledge-based consulting firm based in Abuja.
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Mohammad Sagagi
Sagagi is an economist and development consultant with a strong academic background and extensive private and public sector experience in Nigeria.
Over the years, he has participated in several Federal, State, and Local Governments of Nigeria reform programs, including developing the Nigeria Vision 20: 2020 and several sub-nationals’ development strategies and frameworks.
Risikat Oladoyin Dauda
Dauda is a professor of economics at the University of Lagos. She has a wealth of experience in teaching, research, and consultancy on issues of African development.
Her research interests cut across economics and social development with emphasis on themes relating to education, health and human capital, poverty and inequality, income distribution, human development, gender, and development finance among others.
Aloysius Uche Ordu
Ordu is a member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria. He is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
He previously served as Director of the Africa Growth Initiative in the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings.
Jonathan Aremu
Aremu is a professor of International Economic Relations and a former acting vice chancellor of the Covenant University(CU), Ota, Nigeria between 2004 and 2005.
He is also a consultant at ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) on the Common Investment Market (ECIM), Abuja.
Ummu Ahmed Jalingo
Jalingo, a distinguished economist and academic, has made significant contributions to the field of economics and education in Nigeria.
She is celebrated as the first female Professor of Economics from Northern Nigeria at Gombi local government area of Adamawa State.
Yemi Kale
Kale is the group managing director, Research and Trade Intelligence & group chief economist at the African Export-Import Bank.
Before this role, he was a partner and the chief economist/ head of West African Research at KPMG Financial Services, where he not only led KPMG’s West African Research and Insights team but was also in charge of the Firm’s view on Macroeconomics.
Adedoyin Salami
Salami is the managing director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KAINOS Edge Consulting Ltd., a management consulting firm focused on market research and corporate governance consulting.
He has recently returned to this role after completing an 18-month stint as Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) to President Mohammadu Buhari.
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Friday Kanu Ohunche
Ohuche is a senior Policy and Research Consultant Adviser to the African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
He currently Chairs the Economic Governance sub-committee of the African Union/ APRM expert committee on developing the Governance Index for African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
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