Osinbajo off to UK, to speak at Oxford University Friday

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on the invitation of Oxford University, United Kingdom, would be delivering a special lecture highlighting ongoing investments, efforts and plans of the Nigerian government on human development on Friday at the globally recognized institution.

At the event, Mr Osinbajo will also be inaugurating the International Advisory Board (IAB) of Oxford University’s African Studies Centre, under the School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA).

Members of the board are eminent leaders from across the world including several African countries like Nigeria and South Africa.

The members of the board to be inaugurated by the Nigerian Vice President include Tito Mboweni, an international advisor of Goldman Sachs, and former Chairman of the South African Reserve Bank, who will chair the board; Monica Geingos, First Lady of Namibia, lawyer and entrepreneur; Ibrahim Gambari, former UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs, one-time Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Nigeria’s External Affairs Minister and Charlotte Scott, former First Lady of Zambia and development specialist.

Others are Gareth Ackerman, Chairman of Pick’n Pay, South Africa; Alex Duncan, Director and Consultant Economist, The Policy Practice, Brighton, United Kingdom; Ivor Agyeman-Duah – Economist and author, Accra, Ghana; Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, Nigeria and Linda Mabhena-Olagunju, founder and Managing Director, DLO Energy Group (Pty) Ltd, South Africa.

The vice president who is departing Nigeria later today for London will be received by Oxford’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Warden, St. Antony’s College, Roger Goodman; Head, Oxford School of Global & Area Studies, Tim Powers and the Director of the African Studies Center, Wale Adebanwi.

During the lecture, Mr Osinbajo would highlight the progress made by the Buhari administration in improving the country’s Human Capital development indices and investment climate, as well as the widespread impact of the National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP).

The N-Power Volunteer Corps, which is a part of the N-SIP, and has so far provided employment for 500,000 young Nigerian graduates, demonstrates the commitment of the Federal Government to invest in the human capital development of Nigerian citizens, particularly the young people.

Also, the N-SIP includes schemes such as the Conditional Cash Transfer, which has helped lift thousands of the poorest Nigerians out of poverty, through the provision of N5,000 monthly stipends; the TraderMoni, which provides collateral & interest-free loans from N10,000 to petty traders nationwide, among other initiatives of the Buhari administration.

Besides, there is also the Homegrown School Feeding programme which provides one free meal a day to over 9 million primary school pupils, thereby boosting school enrichment and also addressing stunting concerns among young Nigerians of school age.

Only last week, Mr Osinbajo presided over a meeting of the National Economic Council’s Human Capital Development Core Working Group on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and reiterated Buhari administration’s commitment to accelerate human capital development in the country.

According to the VP, “lifting our people out of poverty is a crucial agenda towards attaining intended developmental outcomes.”

The vice president leaves for London this afternoon and is expected back in Abuja on Sunday.