CSEA Research Associate Chisom Udora and Communications Fellow, Evelyn Dan Epelle attended the Young Women’s Leadership Conference at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, which was organized by the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Citizenship and Leadership, Ms Rinsola Abiola.

The conference emphasized the necessity of empowering women to take on leadership roles, notably in politics. The significance of creating awareness about the possibility of gaining a seat at the table was also emphasized. In the lack of an opportunity, young women are urged to be resilient and determined to create one for themselves.

CSEA and its partners- Africa Growth Initiative (AGI) at The Brookings Institution Institution (USA) and the African Procurement Law Unit (South Africa) organized a stakeholder dialogue on “Public Procurement and Good Governance in Nigeria” to understand how we can improve governance in public procurement in Nigeria.

The dialogue focused on 4 areas, including gender-responsive public procurement, transparency of the procurement process, the skills gap in procurement, and the use of behavioral​ psychology in public procurement in Nigeria.

The event gathered directors of​ procurement from key ministries, donor agencies involved in major procurement projects in Nigeria,​ such as the World Bank and the United Nations,​ Civil​ Society Organizations (CSOs), and ​public procurement officials from Ekiti and Kaduna, among others.

​The Country Director of DAI, Dr Joe Abah, gave the keynote speech emphasizing the need to utilize technology to improve procurement transparency. Professor Sope Williams, the Deputy Director of the African Procurement Law Unit (ALPU), and CSEA's Director of Research, Dr. Adedeji Adeniran, presented on the gender responsiveness of procurement and the transparency of procurement processes in Nigeria, respectively. The panel was chaired by Dr. Chukwuemeka Onyimadu and Dr. Chiji Ojukwu.

CSEA’s Executive Director, Dr Chukwuka Onyekwena, attended the National launch of the 2023-2024 Human Development Report (HDR) titled "Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarized world", organised by the UNDP in Abuja, Nigeria, on March 19, 2024.

The report presents ways forward that hinges on reimagining cooperation in ways that do not assume away divergent interests or opinions but work with them to deliver global public goods – where we all stand to benefit.

Dr. Onyekwena participated in the panel discussion which provided a platform for additional deliberations including issues around Nigeria’s efforts to meet the SDGs, and how government can realign its strategies to facilitate sustainable development outcomes.

CSEA hosted a sensitization workshop in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), titled "Understanding New Nigerian Labour Force Statistics," on Monday, March 18, 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria.

The event provided a platform for experts and other stakeholders to deliberate on the importance and impact of Labour force statistics data for policy formulation and resource allocation, amongst others.

The workshop featured presentation that provided an overview of the National Labour Force Statistics and the Nigerian labour market; highlighting critical indicators and trends such as labour force participation, unemployment rates, demograpghy, etc

The panel conversations explored the role of labour force data in Nigeria's employment generation strategies and skills development programs, the challenges government agencies face in accessing accurate statistics, and the potential for academic institutions to collaborate with policymakers to translate labour market research into actionable policy recommendations.

The Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) in partnership with NOIPolls and the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), launched the Nigeria Economic Diplomacy Discourse (NEDD). The event was held on March 13, 2024, at the CSEA Conference Room in Abuja.

The event consisted of three presentations led by Dr. Chukwuka Onyekwena, Executive Director, CSEA who introduced the NEDD framework; Dr. Chike Nwangwu, Chief Executive Officer, NOIPolls, explained Perception Polls and Professor Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, President, AUST, gave an overview of Trade policy and Economic diplomacy.

The presentations shed light on the critical role of economic diplomacy in driving global prosperity.

The panel session provided an opportunity to reflect on the recently launched trade policy and how it will impact Nigeria. Led by Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, President, Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation (IGET) and Amb. Elijah Onyeagba, Former Nigerian Ambassador to Burundi, the exchange of ideas offered valuable insights, contributing to a deeper understanding of economic dynamics and diplomatic relations in Nigeria and beyond.

The highlight of the event was the Fireside chat themed “Reflection on 2024 WTO Ministerial” featuring Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General, World Trade Organization (WTO).

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala discussed the effectiveness of international economic diplomacy in over 70 countries and noted the challenges of attracting others. She explained that the WTO had extended the period by two years, after which the window for trade policies would be closed.

Dr. Adedeji Adeniran, Director of Research, CSEA provided the closing remarks and extended well wishes to the Heads of Missions and representatives of the embassies of Brazil, India, Germany, Czech Republic, China, Sweden, Burundi, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, and South Africa and other high-level participants who actively engaged in the event.

The NEDD launch is expected to pave the way for collaborative solutions and meaningful engagements in fostering trade relations and sustainable growth.