Researchers, Public Policy Analysts Hold Forum

Graduates and students of Masters of Research and Public Policy (MRPP), Department of Political Science, University of Lagos, in collaboration with the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, are set to host the maiden edition of the “Policy Forum.”

The event would take place on Monday, 28th of October, 2019, at Four Points by Sheraton, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The panellists include Prof. Pat Utomi, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, foreign diplomats and Prof. Solomon Akinboye.

The organisers also disclosed that the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was expected to join the discussion.

The policy forum is a platform for discussing policy formulation – policy objectives and choices – and the attendant implementation challenges. The proposed quarterly programme aims to engage policymakers, policy experts, policy entrepreneurs/champions, political scientists, academia, media practitioners, diplomats, and other stakeholders in the policy making process on critical policies of governments and their impacts on the people and society.

According to a statement signed by Mr. Idris Rufai, the mandate accountability project was particularly designed to identify policy gap and needs in Nigeria, and aims at tackling the twin problems of ‘public policy development’ and ‘poor policy implementation.’

“At every edition of the policy discussion session, a top government official – either elected or appointed – will be invited to answer questions on critical policy initiatives of the administration he serves. More significantly, the forum will allow students of Research and Public Policy at Master and Doctoral levels in Nigeria and 14 other PASGR partner universities across Africa ask germane questions relating to government policy initiatives and their impacts,” Rufai said.

Furthermore, the objective of the programme includes the strengthening of public policy development and analysis for inclusive growth and national development, among others.

The audience shall comprise experts from relevant fields, and other critical stakeholders in public policy making and implementation in Nigeria and beyond.

He said the policy forum was conceived as, “our own contribution to the building of democracy for improved governance in Nigeria and across the African continent.”