The Realnews Magazine and Publications Limited will hold its Third Anniversary Lecture on November 19, 2015.
Realnews is focusing this year’s lecture on the economy, which is currently in the doldrums.
All the economic indices in the country now, ranging from depleting foreign reserve to depreciating value of the naira; the double digit interest rates; high rate of unemployment, especially amongst youth; inflation rate, which is now on the increase, show that there is need for a rethink of the economic direction Nigeria is heading, especially in this new civilian administration that most Nigerians want CHANGE, the online magazine said in a statement on Monday.
The lecture, entitled: “It’s the Nigerian Economy, Stupid,” which will be delivered by Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, a renowned Economist and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, will take place at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki Expressway, Victoria Island, Lagos, by 10am prompt.
Immediately after the lecture, a panel of discussants will leverage on it to speak on how the manufacturing sector, the real estate sector and the management of our national debt can contribute to dig the Nigerian economy out of its current doldrums amidst the dwindling revenue from the sale of crude oil at the international market, the statement further revealed.
The panellists are Gimba Ya’u Kumo, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria; Remi Ogunmefun, the Director General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria; and Abraham Nwankwo, the Director General of the Debt Management Office.
Both the lecturer and all of the panellists have confirmed their attendance at the event.
The Special Guest of Honour is Senator Chris Ngige, former Governor of Anambra State and minister-designate, while the chairman of the occasion is Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, the Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Alpine Investments Services Limited.
Hayatu-Deen, former Managing Director of the defunct FSB International Bank, is one of the moving spirits behind the Nigerian Economic Summit.
Ngige and Hayatu-Deen have also confirmed their attendance.
After the panel and interactive session, there will be an investiture of prominent Nigerians into the prestigious Realnews Hall of Fame, exclusively reserved for only Guest Speakers, Discussants, Book Reviewers and Chairpersons at the magazine’s Anniversary Lecture Series.
Those to be inducted into the Realnews Hall of Fame are Prof. Maurice Iwu, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission; Roberts Orya, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Import Bank; Dr. Ngozi Anyaegbunam, President, Media World; Benjamin Dikki, Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises; and Prof. Joe. I. Ezigbo, Managing Director, Falcon Corporation Limited.
“They (inductees) all played key roles during our second anniversary Lecture and the induction into the Realnews Hall of Fame is just a token of our appreciation for the honour they did to Realnews Magazine and Publications Limited last year,” said Maureen Chigbo, Publisher/Editor of Realnews.
Chigbo also said the Second Volume of the Paragon of Journalism, co-edited by her and the late Mike Akpan, Editor-in-Chief of Realnews magazine, will be presented at the event.
Realnews, a general interest magazine, is an online publication which thrives on investigative journalism.
It debuted November 19, 2012.
It focuses on oil and gas sector with its attendant environmental challenges as well as issues relating to business and economy, politics, power, health, women and youth.
Its aim is to unearth exclusive stories about real people and the challenges they are facing in their day-to-day activities.
It does this bearing in mind that government can only act to influence the lives of people positively if aware of their true situation.
Hence, its objective is to use its investigative skills to ferret out information in the sectors it focuses on and produce an unbiased report which will actually influence the government and decision makers to take actions that will make the society better.