Former Ghanaian President John Mahama, Nigeria’s ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, and several other African statesmen were expected to attend the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation’s 2025 Democracy Dialogue, scheduled for September 17 in Accra, Ghana.
In a statement on Tuesday, Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Ikechukwu Eze said the dialogue would also draw participation from global development experts.
According to him, other distinguished leaders expected include former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso and ex-ECOWAS Commission President, Kadré Ouédraogo; current ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray; and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah.
This year’s dialogue, themed: “Why Democracies Die”, was being co-hosted by the Foundation in collaboration with the Government of Ghana.
Eze said the event would provide an opportunity to reflect on the progress, challenges, and future of democratic governance in West Africa.
Former President Obasanjo will chair the session, while Bishop Kukah will deliver the keynote address at the event.
The 2025 edition marks the fourth in the series since the Foundation launched the initiative in 2021 to critically examine the sustainability and impact of democracy in the sub-region.
Eze recalled that last year’s dialogue, which focused on purposeful education, featured Prof. Olubayi Olubayi, a leading educationist and Chief Academic Officer at Maarifa Education in Kenya.
In his keynote, Olubayi advocated for the establishment of merit-based, research-driven universities across Africa to serve as anchors for education and drivers of technological growth.
Eze added that the 2025 dialogue is expected to shed light on strategies to halt the decline and erosion of democratic norms and institutions across Africa.
