Retired Gen Ike Nwachukwu is expected to lead discussions at the Duke Masterclass, a premium experience and knowledge-sharing platform put together to discuss the role of the private sector in an emerging economic renaissance.
The session, to be held on June 15 in Lagos, is expected to attract Chief Executive Officers and other corporate leaders in what is seen as one of the most incisive engagement on the economy.
Nwachukwu will be joined by other notable speakers like Prof Konyin Ajayi (SAN), Kola Adeshina, Director, Sahara Power, and Mr Olu Onakoya, the first indigenous Managing Director of Mobil Oil Plc.
Among issues to be discussed at the session to be held at Wheatbaker Hotel, are corporate governance, regulatory environment, strategy, board and management relations.
The session is expected to work on the push for an indigenous company that can hit 100 years old.
Mr Joseph Edgar, a renowned investment banker and public affairs commentator, who is the Convener of the Masterclass, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the session would push the narrative that the challenges faced in securing a cohesive nationhood are not political, but economic.
“The continued struggle for the control of a unilinear economic power base is what is leading to the seemingly entrenched political crises and its attendant instability which continually leads to lack of a progressive economic push.
“There is the need to democratize economic power now more than ever before.
“It has become very imperative and it is as a result of this that robust initiatives like this Masterclass are being organized to strengthen leadership within diverse economic decision taking strata.”
He said that Nwachukwu, whose economic diplomacy policy when he was the foreign affairs minister, led to the opening up of the economy to international capital, would deliver a key note paper that would cover leadership, strategy and visioning in the private economic players.
According to him, Dr Ore Sofekun, former President of Funds Managers Association, is leading the technical team that include Bolaji Adewumi, Managing Director of Abbey Mortgage Plc.
The Duke’s Masterclass is an innovative premium think thank that is expected to provide a robust platform for the sharing of incisive knowledge and practical experiences aimed at stretching driver-seat capacity in Nigeria’s economic platforms.
The June 15 session is its second outing, the first being a 2-day visit by more than 200 corporate leaders to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in March 2022.
The former Nigerian leader took them through the tenets of decisive leadership in decision taking.
