Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has partnered with the British High Commission, to host a thought-provoking lecture titled “Reshaping Elite Bargains and Gambling on Development,” given by Professor Stefan Dercon of the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.
The event was co-hosted by the executive vice-chair of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede and the British high commissioner, Richard Montgomery, with a diverse audience drawn from the public sector, civil society and the media.
In his lecture, Professor Dercon, summarising the key premise of his book “Gambling on Development: Why Some Countries Win, and Others Lose”, described how elite consensus in some countries has enabled economic growth.
He stated 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.
The principle of elite engagement with the development process highlighted by Professor Dercon in the lecture aligns closely with the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation’s strategic approach.
To achieve its mission of 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.
The overall goal is a public sector that is effective, values-driven, results-focused and is equipped to support the country’s socio-economic performance and provide goods and services for the well-being of its citizens.
In his closing remarks, chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, stated that his definition of elite was anyone who excelled in their field of endeavour. He, therefore, enjoined members of the audience to recognise their potential as change-makers and leverage their expertise to actively contribute to Nigeria’s development in any way that they can.
