The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, is among eminent personalities to analyse the various reforms being undertaken by the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at this year’s Daily Trust Dialogue, which holds on Thursday, in Abuja.

Mr. Edun is one of the three guest speakers selected for this year’s Dialogue, which has the theme Tinubu’s Economic Reforms: Gainers and Losers. The two other guest speakers are the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joseph Ajaero, and the immediate past Director General of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Dr. Victoria Akai.

Aside the three, several other economists, industrialists, businessmen and women, as well as eminent citizens are participating in this year’s Daily Trust Dialogue, which is the 21st in the series. These include a professor of economics at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Muttaka Usman; the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters in the Office of the Vice President, Dr. Tope Fasua; the CEO of L&Z Integrated Dairy Farms Limited, Alhaji Muhammad Damakka Abubakar, and the Operations Manager at the World Bank Country Office in Nigeria, Mr. Taimur Samad.

Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, a banker, politician and member of the 9th House of Representatives, who is the current governor of Niger State is one of the confirmed special guests at the event. Other special guests expected include the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya; the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo; the governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule; the governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Umar Namadi; the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; and the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Thami Mseleko.

Other dignitaries expected at the 2024 Dialogue include former state governors, serving and former lawmakers, chairmen and members of market associations as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from across the country, members of civil society organisations, development partners and diplomats.

A statement signed by the Ag. Group Chief Executive Officer of the Media Trust Group, owners of Daily Trust and Trust Television, Ahmed I. Shekarau, said that this year’s Dialogue will be combined with the presentation of winner of the 2023 Daily Trust African of the Year award. A South African humanist, Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, emerged winner of the 2023 award after a rigorous process undertaken by the Selection Board for the award, which is being chaired by a former President of Botswana, Mr. Festus Mogae.

The statement also disclosed further that the event, which will hold at the NAF Conference Centre & Suites, Abuja, will be broadcast live on Trust Television, which is on StarTimes Channel 164; NigComSat’s Free TV; Moreplex 715; ArabSat Badr Sat7; AVO TV; LIMEX World TV, YouTube, as well as on Trust Radio, which streams online.

The annual Daily Trust Dialogue is part of the Media Trust Group’s contributions to stimulating discussions by Nigerians and fellow Africans towards enhancing national, and indeed, African integration and cohesion, which are crucial for sustainable socio-political growth and economic development of Nigeria, and the African Continent at large.

Since 2002, Media Trust has hosted the annual public lecture series to discuss topical issues on various aspects of governance. The series of Dialogues had been attended by past Heads of Government, the leadership of the National Assembly as well as captains of commerce and industry, aside members of the diplomatic corps.

The Daily Trust Dialogue had equally been graced at different times by eminent personalities from across Africa. They include late former President of Ghana, Flt. Lt. Jerry Rawlings; and Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, former Prime Minister of Tanzania. Others are late Mrs. Winnie Mandela of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle; Dr. Mo Ibrahim, founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation; and Mrs. Samia Nkrumah, daughter of late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Several serving and past presidents of the Nigerian Senate and speakers of the House of Representatives, governors and deputy governors, also participated in the event over the years.