The Governor of Ekiti State and the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and the Governor of Sokoto State and the Deputy Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Malam Aminu Tambuwal, will both speak at an International Conference on “20 Years of Democracy in Nigeria: 1999-2019” at Oxford University, United Kingdom, on Friday, December 6, 2019.

The one-day Conference is hosted by the African Studies Centre, University of Oxford. Governors Fayemi and Tambuwal, who will be the special guests at the conference, are expected to reflect on Nigeria’s Fourth Republic in their addresses to the international audience.

Renowned American scholar of democracy and author of “Class, Ethnicity and Democracy in Nigeria: The Failure of the First Republic”, Professor Larry Diamond, will give the keynote address at the conference where many scholars based in Nigeria, Europe and the United States will present papers. Diamond will speak on “20 years of Semi-Democracy in Nigeria: Future Challenges for Democratic Development”.

The convener of the conference, Professor Wale Adebanwi, who is the Director of the Oxford African Studies Centre and Rhodes Professor of Race Relations, stated on Thursday: “As Nigeria celebrates two decades of democracy, the structural errors of the state and the fundamental contradictions of the society that democratic governance was expected to confront or manage have deepened. The hopes invested in the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999 seem to be flagging as Nigeria is confronted with a myriad of political, economic and social crises. Yet, given her historical experiences, there is no better alternative to democratic governance in Nigeria.” In light of this, the participants at the conference “will explore the political, economic and social forces, processes, and challenges which have shaped Nigeria in the Fourth Republic.”

Those expected to present papers at the conference include Professor Eghosa Osaghae, formerly the Vice-Chancellor of the Igbinedon University, Dr Jubrin Ibrahim of the Centre for Democracy and Development, Abuja, Dr. Peter Lewis of Johns Hopkins University, USA, Professor Adigun Agbaje of the University of Ibadan, Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu of INEC, Abuja, Dr Aliyu Moddibo Umar, former FCT Minister and currently a Visiting Fellow at Oxford University, Ms Idayat Hassan of the CCD, Abuja, Dr Zainab Usman of the World Bank, Dr Kingsley Moghalu, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Professor Nic Cheeseman of Birmingham University, UK, Professor Rotimi Suberu of Bennington University, USA, Professor Ebenezer Obadare of the University of Kansas, USA, Dr Adam Higazi of the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Professor Ricardo Soares de Oliviera of Oxford University.