Mustafa Abubakar
1 October 2008
Ilorin — Former United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy, Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari and the former Pakistani Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, are among the important dignitaries billed to attend next month's Northern Economic and Investment Summit (NEIS 2008), in Abuja.
Prof. Gambari, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the UN and former Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, will preside over the plenary session on the opening day along side Aziz who was the first Prime Minister of Pakistan to complete a full term in office and is esteemed for his financial management and structural reforms who shall be delivering the keynote address at the summit billed for October 6,this year.
Notable scholars, economists and jurists have also confirmed their participation at the summit. They include the veritable Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, Prof. Ibrahim Ayagi, Chairman of the National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC), Justice Agboola, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). Dr. Tunji Olagunju, Presidential Adviser on NEPAD and Prof. Pat Utomi, Director, Lagos Business School.
Daily Trust also gathered that the celebrated Zimbabwean farmers in Kwara State are also attending to give their experience on commercial farming.
President Musa Yar Adua will declare the summit open while all former heads of state from the North have accepted to be active participants at the summit.
The summit, taking place from 6th-8th October at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, sponsored by the Conference of Northern States Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (CONSCCIMA), comprising all the 19 states and Abuja Chambers of Commerce.
CONSCCIMA Chairman, Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, MNI, says, all hands are on deck to ensure an economic turnaround in the North.
"Something must be done about the economy and we are determined to improve the economy of the North. We want to tackle frontally, the problem of poverty," he said.
One major goal of the summit is wealth creation, with less dependence on oil.
'It is insulting to say the North cannot survive without oil revenue. We have other great alternatives which we are looking into strongly at the summit", he added.
According to the CONSCCIMA leader, the summit has received the royal blessings of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alh. Sa'ad Abubakar and other key royal fathers in the North.
"The sultan is so enthusiastic about the summit and he does not hide it that he is with us on this important matter," he said.
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