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PUBLIC LECTURES
REPORT ON THE FIRST NIGERIAN ECONOMIC SOCIETY PUBLIC SEMINAR, 2009
A synopsis of the 2009 Public Seminar, titled, Statistics for National Development held at Reiz Continental Hotel, Central Business District, Abuja, June 16, 2009
PREAMBLE
As part of its policy analysis and community service focus, the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) organized the first in the series public seminar on June 16, 2009 at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja. The public seminar, which theme was Statistics for National Development, witnessed a large attendance of professionals, practicing economists, statisticians and other social scientists, scholars from within and outside the country including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as members of the NES College of Fellows and Past Presidents (CFPP).
The Chairman of the occasion was Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, KBE, CON, BA (Honours), Doctor of Science, Sardauna of Sokoto. Dr. Shamsudden Usman, FNES, Honourable Minister and Deputy Chairman, National Planning Commission, delivered the keynote address, while the special guest of honour was Alhaji Suleiman Barau, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria. Distinguished speakers on the theme were three seasoned professionals, namely, Dr. Sani Doguwa, Director, Statistics Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Vincent Akinyosoye, Director General, National Bureau of Statistics and Prof. Ademola Ariyo, Head of Department, Department of Economics, University of Ibadan. Dr. N. Nwokoma, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Lagos and Mr. Ayodele Omotosho, Director, Macroeconomic Analysis, National Planning Commission were discussants.
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The papers presented at the Seminar include the following:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING, MARKETS AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
BY
PROF. VREMUDIA P. DIEJOMAOH
Fellow of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES)
And Formerly, Director Of
The ILO Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
And
Director-General, Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER)
PREAMBLE
At the onset, let me express my deep gratitude for the honour extended to me, by the President and Council of the Nigerian Economic Society, to deliver its 7th Annual Public Lecture, on the very topical theme of National Development Planning, Markets and Development in Nigeria. The timeliness and importance of this topic for the Nigerian Nation and Public can hardly be overemphasized, judging by the very high national expectations for a more prosperous, equitable, stable, and peaceful future, after the peaceful successful transition from one democratically elected Government to another.
The current particular interest in the topic of National Development Planning, is no doubt fuelled by the announcement by the Federal Government, that there will be a return to National Development Planning. This decision was warmly applauded by the 50th Anniversary Conference of the Nigerian Economic Society, held in this very venue in October 2007.
The presumption in the announcement on the return to National Development Planning is that somehow, National Development Planning had stopped, or was not satisfactory in the more recent past. There is therefore a need to clarify what we actually mean by National Development Planning, so that future National Development Planning can take off on an auspicious note. The reality, is that there are different kinds of National Development plans.
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