CSEA joined other participants at the  Regional Dissemination Conference of results from Phase II of the Research Project on Tobacco Taxation in West Africa tagged  “Tax Solutions for Optimal Reduction of Smoking in West Africa”. The conference was organized by the Consortium for Economic and Social Research (CRES) and funded by Canada's International Development Research Center (IDRC). It provided a platform for participants including key decision makers working on the formulation and implementation of tobacco taxation policies as well as international participants to discuss and propose resolutions to put into practice the ECOWAS Regional Directive for a significant reduction of tobacco consumption in West Africa. Dr. Chukwuka Onyekwena and Precious Akanonu participated in this event which held 10 - 11 July 2018, Dakar, Senegal

The 2nd African Transformation Forum (ATF2018) was hosted by the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), in collaboration with the Government of Ghana.

The ATF2018 which was a Dialogue for Action, brought together leading experts and practitioners from Africa to share perspectives on how to accelerate job growth, boost investment and help shape the course of economic transformation in Africa.

The event also offered an opportunity for the private sector and other non-state actors to get engaged and take stock of progress made in the Pan-African Coalition for Transformation (PACT). Launched at the ATF2016, PACT is a mechanism for high-level government, the private sector and civil society stakeholders to collaborate across sectors and borders to speed up implementation of transformative policies and reforms.

Dr Chukwuka Onyekwena joined other participants to contribute directly to the formation of action plans for several PACT thematic chapters, including those focused on resource mobilization, manufacturing, agriculture, extractives and skills development.

The ATF2018 also featured a private sector CEO roundtable in which a panel of leading executives shared their thoughts and strategies on the vital role of the business community in Africa's transformation process.

The event held in Accra, Ghana from June 20-21, 2018." alt="" width="800" height="480" /> " alt="" width="1024" height="445" /> " alt="" width="1024" height="683" /> " alt="" width="750" height="397" />

CSEA participated in the 5th annual bank conference on Africa (ABCA), organized jointly by the World Bank (Office of the Chief Economist for the Africa Region), and the Stanford Center on Global Poverty and Development.

The conference tagged “Examining the Challenges and Opportunities of Firms’ Productivity in Africa”, provided a platform for participants to discuss various issues pertinent to firms in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Grace Onubedo presented a paper on “Finance and Firm Productivity in Africa”. The event held in Stanford, California, on June 14-15, 2018.

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) hosted a panel discussion with distinguished West African experts on the implementation of Resolution 2250. Precious Akanonu was a panelist at this event which provided a platform for participants to share their insights, research focus, and country situations.

While Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace, and Security agenda, which held in 2015, was a milestone, there needs to be more effort to fully translate its provisions into practice. The recently published progress study on youth’s positive contributions to peace processes and conflict resolution offers important recommendations and tangible responses at local, national, regional and international levels.

This event featured various discussions on this issues; participants also held talks with key experts working on the Youth, Peace, and Security agenda in the UN community.

The event held in New York, from June 10th -13th, 2018." alt="" width="734" height="604" />

CSEA participated in the second annual conference of the SIIS Africa Forum 2018. The event was organized by the Shang Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) with the theme “International Development Cooperation in Africa: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects”. It provided a platform for various stakeholders to discuss and make valuable impact on policy-making, economic and social interactions between China, Africa and the international society. Key issues discussed during the sessions include: International Partnership and African Development, Development Finance in Africa, Security and Development Nexus in Africa; The Belt and Road Initiative and African Development. The event also featured a session which provided recommendations for the upcoming Forum on China African Cooperation (FOCAC Summit 2018). Dr. Chukwuka Onyekwena contributed to the discussions on Development Finance in Africa." alt="" width="845" height="510" />