By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Hajiya Amina Muhammed, is scheduled to speak on unconstitutional change of government in West African region, at the coming AFRPN 6th Annual Lecture/Conference 2024.
The Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria (AFRPN), which made this disclosure in a statement, also explained that the 6th annual lectures/conference, which is designed to interrogate issues of the moment by experienced practitioner, is a salutary manifestation of the vision and mission of the Association.
Signed by president of the association, Dr. Gani Lawal, the statement said: “the guest lecturer is no less a personality than the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Hajiya Amina Muhammed”.
The topic for this year’s lecture, Dr. Lawal said, is “Unconstitutional change of government and attainment of AU63 Agenda and UN SDGs – The case of West Africa and the Sahel Subregion”.
This topic, like the five before it, Dr. Lawal added, has been carefully chosen to create opportunity to listen to the perspectives of a nodal International Relations professional who had been following and researching into the historical antecedent and outcome of issues, actions and inactions that led to this development.
“The association is poised to and had been impacting the foreign policy options of Nigeria in a positive way from the perspectives of intellectual brain storming exercise of its experienced members and practitioners on topical issues through lectures, workshops and publications as well as mentoring of upcoming diplomats,” he said.
AFRPN, the statement said, consists of retired and serving Nigerian diplomats and all stakeholders in the business of Foreign Relations.
“The Chairman of the occasion is Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari; our former Foreign Minister and immediate past chief of Staff to our former President. Among the personalities that are expected to grace the occasion are the patrons of the association such as Amb Dr Dalhatu Tafida, former High commissioner of Nigeria to United Kingdom; Prof Mrs Joy Ogwu, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs; Geoffrey Onyeama, the immediate past Minister of Foreign Affairs; and former Ministers of State, Mr Dada, and Amb Hirse. The present Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Yusuf Tuggar is the chief host of the day.
The special guest of honour is the 15th Vice President of the Federation Alhaji Kashim Mustapha Shettima GCON while the royal father of the day is the 14th Emir of Kano who is also the Royal Patron of our association and the scion of Nigeria’s foreign policy,” the statement concluded.
