Aig-Imoukhuede, British Commission Emphasise Role of Elites in Promoting Development

James Emejo in Abuja

The Chairman, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede has empahised the role of the elites in nation-building and development.

He defined the elite as those who have excelled in their field of endeavour and urged them to recognise their potential as change-makers and leverage their expertise to actively contribute to the country’s development in any way that they can.

Also, Prof. Stefan Dercon of the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, explained how elite consensus in some countries had enabled economic growth.

Both spoke at a thought-provoking lecture titled, “Reshaping Elite Bargains and Gambling on Development” which was hosted by the foundation in partnership with the British High Commission in Abuja.

Summarising the key points in his book “Gambling on Development: Why Some Countries Win, and Others Lose”, Dercon, noted that while governments have a legal responsibility to put in place measures aimed at fostering economic development, in recent times, the countries that have developed the fastest are those in which the elite have put aside their own interests and focused instead on pursuing economic progress for their nations. 

Meanwhile, the principle of elite engagement with the development process highlighted by the Oxford professor aligns closely with the Aig-Imoukhuede foundation’s strategic approach of achieving its mission of a transformed public service delivery.

The foundation collaborates with the public sector, providing funding and technical expertise to support public sector reform efforts, including digitalisation and enhanced performance management for the Federal Civil Service.