Babacar Ndiaye Lecture: Mahbubani, geopolitical thinker, speaks on options, policies open for Africa in emerging realignment, new world order
Aderemi Ojekunle is a Businessamlive Reporter.
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Ben Eguzozie, with wire report
Kishore Mahbubani, world-renowned geopolitical thinker, professor of public policy and founding dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, at the forthcoming fourth Babacar Ndiaye annual lecture, would be unveiling options and policies that Africa can reflect on, and take advantage of, in view of emerging opportunities associated with geopolitical realignment and emerging new world order.
Mahbubani is the keynote speaker of the lecture, which to be hosted by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Tuesday afternoon, October 20.
The Singaporean globally acclaimed geopolitical thinker would be speaking under the theme: “Africa and the Remaking of the New World Order,” in a lecture that will provide a platform for African leaders to reflect on options and policies to take advantage of emerging opportunities associated with geopolitical realignment and emerging new world order.
A statement from Afreximbank said the 90-minute lecture would be a virtual event online, with viewers from around the world joining via internet-enabled devices.
According to Benedict Oramah, president and chairman of the board of directors of Afreximbank, “Africa has shown resilience to Covid-19, and countries must build on it and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to compete for opportunities emerging from Covid-19 and the new world order in the making.”
He said through this fourth annual lecture series, the continent with 1.3 billion people is “proud to transcend the challenges posed by Covid-19 to continue honouring President Ndiaye for his exceptional contribution to Africa and the world.”
Last year Afreximbank hosted the third annual Babacar Ndiaye Lecture under the theme: “Trading Under Emerging Global Security Realities: Implications for a Successful AfCFTA,” as a side event to the IMF meetings in Washington, D.C. William E. ‘Kip’ Ward, the inaugural commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), delivered the 2019 lecture.
The annual Babacar Ndiaye Lecture series was established by Afreximbank in 2017 to honour the memory and excellent contribution of Ndiaye to Africa’s development. Ndiaye was the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) from 1985 to 1995.