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Oby Ezekwesili Joins Yale University As Senior Fellow

Former Minister of Education, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, and five other global figures have joined the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs as senior fellows.

Mr Peter Salovey, President of Yale University, United States of America, said this in a statement on Sunday.

Salovey also welcomed the institution’s 19 returning fellows.

Salovey listed the school’s other 2021 senior fellows as Staffan de Mistura (Italy & Sweden), Jessica Faieta (Ecuador), Anne Patterson, David Brooks and Jessica Seddon(United States),

“Jackson’s senior fellows are leading practitioners in various fields of international affairs and will spend a year or semester at Yale teaching post-graduate courses and mentoring students.

“Ezekwesili will teach two post-graduate courses on Democracy and Africa’s Political Distortions and Resolving Africa’s Economic Philosophy Dilemma, respectively, during the 2021 fall semester.

“Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs applies evidence-based scholarship to challenges of maximum global importance, such as climate change, war and peace, ethnic conflict, inequality, and migration,” he said.

According to Salovey, the world needs creative ideas and leadership to help end global conflicts and solve intractable problems.

“By establishing the Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs, we will create an intimate community of outstanding faculty, practitioners and students to conduct research of great relevance to the development and adoption of international policy.

“Yale will continue to fulfil its longstanding mission to educate passionate public servants, who confront the day’s most daunting challenges with wisdom, facts, insight and courage,” said Salovey.

The new fellows include economic experts, astute commentators, publishers, bestselling authors, ambassadors, and academics.

An economic policy expert, Ezekwesili is Senior Economic Adviser to the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative.

She is a co-founder and pioneer director of Transparency International.

She is also the Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Human Capital Africa, which is working in the education sector across Africa; Chairperson, School of Politics, Policy and Governance; and Chairperson of research-based citizens-led #FixPolitics Initiative.

Ezekwesili and her colleagues would join a cast of global leaders who are returning as senior Jackson fellows.

Senior Jackson fellows include global leaders like former US Secretary of State, John Kerry; former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton; former United Kingdom Secretary of State for International Development, Rory Stewart.

Ezekwesili expressed appreciation and delight to accept the globally prestigious fellowship from Yale University and the opportunity to teach its distinguished post-graduate students.

Source: NAN

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Yes, I Insist That #ChinaMustPay Africa Damages for COVID-19

Oby Ezekwesili is not backing down, and has re-fired her belief that China should pay African countries for the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Click China Must Pay if you missed reading her previous article.

In their prickly reaction to my April 16 Washington Post #ChinaMustPay article (a response published in the Guardian Newspaper of May 3, 2020), the Government of China through their Embassy in Nigeria missed the opportunity to responsibly address the serious issues raised.

I must repeat that Africa deserves to be paid a compensation for the damages COVID-19 pandemic is inflicting on lives and livelihoods.

Unfortunately and unfairly, my country, Nigeria, is one of fifty-four countries in Africa that are struggling to respond to the disruptive effects of China’s failure to take responsibility for a pandemic that could have been easily contained and localised to avoid the ruin it has caused our continent and the world at large.

Since Beijing failed to adhere to basic scientific and research transparency in the critical early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, it must accept responsibility with humility.

Therefore, a legitimate demand for accountability and payment of penalties by rich and powerful countries for damages their behaviours do to vulnerable people ought not to attract the kind of sour response China released.

There are six points that authorities in Beijing ought to humbly consider.

First, it is now clear to the world that China’s opaque handling of the pandemic is costing my country, our continent and people too much in lost lives and livelihoods. The unjustified suffering of the poor and vulnerable brought on by the actions of a comparatively rich and powerful country demands a new system for addressing global inequities.

I maintain that information in the public domain points to the fact that China suppressed vital information from the rest of the world on COVID-19.

The burden to present convincing counter-factual information lies with China and,so far, it has failed to do so.

Second, I assert again that China owes Africa yet-to-be-estimated compensation.

Its acts of negligence in December and early January resulted in a fast-spreading global pandemic that collapsed the continent’s economic growth from 2.9% in 2019 to negative 5.1% in 2020.

Most importantly, China should, in the interim, take responsibility and ease the severe fiscal pressure on our countries, by announcing a cancellation of over $140bn in loans its government, contractors and banks have advanced to Africa over the last two decades.

Following this debt cancelation, an international consortium made up of the G20, China, Africa Union Commission and global institutions like the United Nations, World Bank and IMF should be constituted to assess the full extent of damages and the compensation due.

Third, Chinese authorities should know that we are Africans who are not lackeys of any power.

Laying a baseless charge of “dancing to the tune of others” to an African reveals an appalling mindset toward our continent. It may in fact be this same sort of attitude that frames the extremely offensive profiling of Africans who are resident in China.

We do not dance to the drumbeat of any country or any continent — our sole tune is the African Beat.

Fourth, the spirit of transparency ought to be in China’s own interest.

It is intriguing that Beijing has so far failed to embrace my suggestion to allow an Independent International Panel of Experts to review and assess China’s handling of the COVID19 pandemic. Why? Is China afraid of full disclosure that can help the world learn vital lessons on how to manage global threats and risks better?

Fifth, this global New Normal requires faster prevention of cross-border risks and threats. The best antidotes to minimize global negative externalities that harm the weak and vulnerable are absolute transparency and removal of information asymmetries by countries.

As part of this New Normal, the global community has a duty to learn and correct past failures to penalize bad behavior. My #ChinaMustPay article is a call therefore to innovate global mechanisms that compel countries to start now to do the right things whenever risks and threats emerge.

Innovation is what China rode on to economic greatness. What then is wrong with asking for such as a legitimate part of our global New Normal?

Sixth, it should be in China’s historic and conscientious national interest to prevent future exploitation of vulnerable countries by economic superpowers. I did acknowledge previous global risks that similarly emanated from other rich and powerful countries and injured Africa’s economic growth and development.

I find it hard to believe that China, given its history and experience with colonial mistreatment, would want this cyclical pattern to continue. Do the authorities in Beijing really want Africans to simply accept harmful actions of rich and powerful countries?

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in an April 2020 report on coronavirus pandemic stated that “over 300,000 Africans may lose their lives due to COVID-19.” According to the Africa Union Commission, the coronavirus is already collapsing many economies in Africa and worsening poverty.

Already, the livelihoods of hundreds of millions on the continent, especially children, young people and women are already lost to the damaging economic disruptions caused by COVID-19.

The IMF calls the impact of the pandemic on Africa as “the worst reading on record”. It went further to state that Africa’s “Fiscal space is limited, and fiscal financing needs to address the crisis are large – at least $114 billion for this year”.

International rating agencies have massively downgraded the credit ratings of African countries making investors more skittish.

I proposed a penalty system in the form of a Global Risk Burden Tax that will from now be payable to weaker and more vulnerable countries and their people whenever forced to bear a disproportionate burden from preventable global risks that emanate from rich and powerful countries.

Such a penalty tax would also serve as a disincentive to prevent the kind of unbecoming actions and decisions that escalated the spread of the deadly virus out of Wuhan.

China must know that where our lives and livelihoods are concerned, no country, regardless of how powerful it may be, can intimidate us Africans ever again.

Beijing should do the right thing now and accept the debt it owes Africa as a result of its failures on COVID-19. That is how responsible world powers should behave in the 21st Century if they are to be taken seriously.

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Why China must pay Nigeria, other African countries – Ezekwesili

There has been a widespread financial challenge globally, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. As so, Oby Ezekwesili former Vice President of the World Bank’s Africa division has therefore called on China to take responsible actions to support Africans financially. She shared her opinion in an op-ed for Washington’s Post, below:

The covid-19 pandemic has dealt a severe injury to Africa’s development prospects and worsened the conditions of its poor and vulnerable. Although there are calls for voluntary international aid to support the continent during this difficult time, this is far from the best solution.

The continent must be accorded damages and liability compensation from China, the rich and powerful country that failed to transparently and effectively manage this global catastrophe. Africa’s economic gains since the last global crisis have been eroded. It is time to make offending rich countries pay the poor ones a global risk burden tax for delaying their rise out of poverty.

Today, Africa is home to more than 70 percent of the world’s poorest people, with more than 400 million living below the poverty line. It is no surprise that it is disproportionately vulnerable to this crisis. It should not suffer even more because yet another powerful country failed to act responsibly.

China should immediately announce a complete write-off of the more than $140 billion that its government, banks and contractors extended to countries in Africa between 2000 and 2017. This would provide partial compensation to African countries for the impact that the coronavirus is already having on their economies and people.

The analysis of the balance of compensation due to Africa can then follow from discussions with the Africa Union and its member countries, alongside global and regional organizations including the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank and the European Union.

Our world is long overdue for a change of approach in the way it manages global risks that leave the poor worse off due to failures of the rich and powerful. The current model of development assistance is broken and can never deliver any real change of fortune for the most vulnerable. We need a new model that strengthens people to engage in the design of their pathway out of poverty and builds economic resilience.

The current conditions mirror what happened during the 2008 global financial crisis. In my time as the vice president in charge of the World Bank’s operations in Africa, we had to mobilize internal and partner resources to mitigate the severity of the economic recession suffered by the continent. Exogenous shocks dealt a lethal blow to the countries’ decade-long steady rises of economic growth, which had averaged 5 to 6 percent annually until tumbling to 2.4 percent in 2009.

This sharp fall ended Africa’s upward economic growth trajectory and sent per capita income tumbling. It increased inequality and the number of Africans in absolute poverty. Such fragile and low economic growth rates for a continent with one of the world’s highest concentrations of young people and annual population growth rate of about 2.5 percent is a key reason for widespread multidimensional poverty — a threat that carries seeds of global insecurity and instability.

The economic shock caused by the coronavirus has badly reduced the opportunity Africa would otherwise have had to lift hundreds of millions out of poverty. The African Union Commission estimates that Africa’s gross domestic product will shrink by as much as 4.5 percent, resulting in 20 million job losses.

This has dangerously hampered the possibility that Africa can generate jobs for young people and women, or increase literacy levels by reducing the number of out-of-school children with access to quality learning opportunities. It will result in lessened ability to reduce maternal and child mortality, improve nutrition and food security, make reliable energy available and accessible, improve the availability of quality roads, water, sanitation, and other infrastructure, and such other investments in public goods.

China, a country that only within the past four decades has managed to lift more than 850 million people out of poverty, would understand how critical it is for African countries to accelerate inclusive growth. While economies in Asia, Europe and the Americas have announced hefty emergency stimulus packages for their people and businesses, countries in Africa struggle to meet short-term food needs.

Most of Africa’s countries simply do not have the buffer required for fiscal relief in times of crisis, because they were already severely constrained by budgetary crises caused by poor domestic revenue mobilization, high public debts and low productivity. The parlous public finances of these countries worsened due to volatility in commodity prices as the pandemic worsened.

Africa faces frequent shocks caused by climate, terrorism, health issues, food insecurity, crime and other sources of risk. Most of these perils emanate from the failures of the rich and powerful economies, but end up inflicting a disproportionate share of the poor and vulnerable.

China should demonstrate world leadership by acknowledging its failure to be transparent on covid-19. Beijing’s leadership should then commit to an independent expert panel evaluation of its pandemic response. China and the rest of the Group of 20 countries should engage with the Africa Union and countries to design a reparations mechanism.

It is time for rich economies to show that our world is capable of doing right by the poor and vulnerable.

China must pay.

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“YOU MUST SINCERELY APOLOGIZE TO NIGERIANS” – OBY EZEKWESILI TO SOUTH AFRICA’S PRESIDENT

On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Cape Town, South Africa, last week ,Oby Ezekwesili alongside Nigerian entrepreneurs, professionals and the Nigerian community in South Africa led by Mr Cosmos Echie (who is the acting President of the Nigerian Community Western Cape) issued a communique in which they referred to latest events in South Africa as ‘Afrophobia’.

“It was unanimously agreed that the crisis is detrimental to the spirit of African renaissance, affirmation of black heritage, progress and development. Afrophobia compromises everything that the recently brokered intra-African trade – Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement — represents and aspires to deliver,” the communique reads.

The group also asked President Ramaphosa to apologise to Nigerians and other countries whose citizens have borne the brunt of xenophobic attacks for decades.

The South African government was also advised to trigger series of actions necessary to de-escalate the brewing conflict.

“Officials of the government of South Africa must immediately desist from making any further pejorative and incendiary comments targeting Nigerians and their country and instead publicly commit to taking preventive and surveillance measures that will foreclose a repeat of Afrophobic attacks of Nigerians and other African nationals. 

Oby Ezekwesili in a meeting with the Nigerian community in South Africa (Laniya Olaoluwa)
Oby Ezekwesili in a meeting with the Nigerian community in South Africa (Laniya Olaoluwa)

“The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, should rise to the demands of leadership and reach out to the President of Nigeria to trigger the series of dialogue and actions necessary for swift de-escalation of the brewing conflict between their two countries. 

“The President of South Africa should offer a sincere public apology to Nigeria, other countries affected by the attacks and the entire continent for the tragic hostility and harm perpetrated against their citizens. 

“The President of South Africa should send a sharp signal to South Africans and the continent by visiting the victims of the Afrophobia attacks to empathize with and reassure them of their safety in South Africa and the government should consider paying compensations for losses sustained in the attacks.

“South Africa and Nigeria should agree a mutual legal assistance cooperation scheme for tackling cases of crimes occurring among their citizens”, the communique stated further.

Oby Ezekwesili says South Africa has to do more to rein in attackers (Laniya Olaoluwa)
Oby Ezekwesili says South Africa has to do more to rein in attackers (Laniya Olaoluwa)

The group also asked “the Nigerian High Commission and Nigerians in South Africa to design a fact-based campaign to widely convey the accurate and positive narrative of the value they contribute to their host country.

“For example, South Africans must be made aware that more than 18 per cent of lecturers in their higher institutions are Nigerians. A significant percentage of the medical personnel in rural hospitals are Nigerians.

“Most Nigerians and Nigerian-owned businesses operate responsibly in legitimate and professional practices in South Africa compared to the less than one per cent of cases of shadowy activities. 

“The Nigerian government should make visible effort to guarantee the safety and security of South Africans and their businesses in Nigeria. 

“The umbrella organisation of South Africa- based Nigerians will be encouraged to launch a business platform to support the formalising processes for as many informal businesses of Nigerians as possible in order to better capture the value and impact being created and contributed to South Africa’s economic and social landscape.”

Ezekwesili also promised her expertise to the cause in the days ahead.

“The leaders of South Africa-based Nigerians will collaborate to promote a citizens diplomacy programme to foster stronger personal and business relationships between Nigerians and South Africans”, the former minister said.

Oby Ezekwesili meets with the Nigerian community in South Africa (Laniya Olaoluwa)
Oby Ezekwesili meets with the Nigerian community in South Africa (Laniya Olaoluwa)

What Ramaphosa has been saying

South Africa is home to many immigrants. However, the country’s poorest often struggle to find employment, with some South Africans blaming competition by foreigners for their plight.

Violent attacks on outsiders, particularly those from other African nations, have become a major and recurring problem in the former apartheid enclave. Some assaults have been deadly.

The attacks have stoked tensions and threatened to sour diplomatic relations between South Africa and Nigeria–two of Africa’s biggest economies.

President Ramaphosa of South Africa has repeatedly condemned the riots although he has refused to use the word ‘xenophobia’ in reference to the attacks.

The South African leader says the attacks are “a crime against our prosperity and stability as a nation. Those who want to upset our public order must expect to face the gravest impact of the law.”

 

 

Credit: Pulse News

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OBY EZEKWESILI MAKES MOVE TO PUT XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS AT CENTRE OF CONVERSATIONS AT WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN SA

The federal government had pulled out of the Forum following xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Nigeria joined Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, and Rwanda in boycotting the event amid violence in the country.

Ezekwesili is facing heavy criticism for her attendance and she’s explained that she’s making the xenophobic attacks the focus of her conversation at the Forum.

Here’s Ezekwesili explaining why she’s in SA:

 

Credit: Bella Naija

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OBY EZEKWESILI WINS FORBES’ SOCIAL INFLUENCER AWARD

Former Minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, has been announced as Forbes Woman Africa Social Influencer at the Forbes Woman Africa Awards inaugural gala dinner which held in Durban, South Africa.

The Anti-corruption campaigner and convener of the Bring Back our Girls movement was celebrated for her efforts in launching the viral #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

Other recipients of awards at the prestigious gala were Dr. Divine Simbi-Ndhlukula (Business); Rachel Sibande; Caster Semenya (Sports); Sho Madjozi (Entertainment); Uche Pedro (New media), among others.

The Managing Editor of Forbes Africa and Forbes Woman Africa, Methil Renuka, said:

“ The ceremony was the perfect conclusion to a highly constructive day of networking and concept sharing by Africa’s most dynamic women.”

Renuka congratulated the women for their efforts in impacting the lives of young women worldwide.

Ezekwesili was also named among the World’s 100 Most Influential People by Time Magazine in 2018 and was shortlisted for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize.

 

Credit: Pulse News

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OBY EZEKWESILI, UCHE PEDRO, CASTER SEMENYA, OTHERS, HONOURED AT FORBES WOMAN AFRICA AWARDS

The event was held at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre on Friday, 8 March.

The awards’ dinner followed a full day of panel discussions and talks by New Wealth Creators from across Africa at the fourth annual Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit (#LWS2019KZN), hosted by the KZN Provincial Government in association with ABSA, the IDC, Women of Africa and supported by Delta Airlines.

See details from the event here.

See the full list of winners below:

Forbes Woman Africa Gen Y Award – Rachel Sibande

Forbes Woman Africa Sports Award – Caster Semenya

Forbes Woman Africa Entertainer Award – Sho Madjozi

Forbes Woman Africa Technology and Innovation Award – Arlene Mulder

Forbes Woman Africa Sustainable Citizen Award – Judith Kepher-Gona

Forbes Woman Africa Social Influencer Award – Oby Ezekwesili

Forbes Woman Africa New Media Award – Uche Pedro

Forbes Woman Africa Male Gender Advocate Award – Bonang Mohale

Forbes Woman Africa Businesswoman of the Year Award – Dr Divine Simbi-Ndhlukula

Forbes Woman Africa Public Sector Award – Nosipho Mkhupheka

Forbes Woman Africa Lifetime Achievement Award – Wendy Luhabe

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

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PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, OBY EZEKWESILI STEPS DOWN FROM PRESIDENTIAL RACE

The Presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and former Minister of Education Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili has announced that she’s stepping down from the race.

She made this known in a series of tweets on Thursday morning. She wrote:

Following the reactions of Nigerian citizens at home and abroad to the 2019 Presidential Debate held on Saturday 19 January 2019, and after extensive consultations with leaders from various walks of life across the country over the past few days…

I have decided to step down from the presidential race and focus on helping to build a Coalition for a viable alternative to the #APCPDP in the 2019 general elections.

This coalition for a viable alternative has now more than ever before become an urgent mission for and on behalf of the citizenry.

Over the past three months, I have been in private extended talks with other candidates to make a coalition possible that would allow Nigerians to exercise choice without feeling helplessly saddled with the #APCPDP.

In doing so, I have not hesitated to offer my willingness to step down my candidacy in order to facilitate the emergence of a strong and viable alternative behind which Nigerians can line up in our collective search for a new beginning.

My commitment in this regard has been consistent and in consonance with my agreement, at the request of then aspirants under PACT in 2018, to supervise their internal selection process as an outside observer passionate about building this alternative force.

Despite disagreements within the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria on these and other issues, I have decided that it is now necessary to show by action and example my determination on this issue by stepping down my candidacy and focusing on building the coalition once and for all.

Credit: Bella Naija
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PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OBIAGELI ‘OBY’ EZEKWESILI IS KOKO MAGAZINE’S 2018 ‘WOMAN OF THE YEAR’

Female presidential candidate Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili has been revealed as KOKO magazine’s 2018 ‘Woman of the Year’.

According to the magazine’

Change is the only constant thing in life and with the advent of social media, our world as we know it is changing so fast. With varying challenges that we might be facing be it economic, political, social or environmental, we thankfully still have individuals particularly women leading, inspiring and championing hope for our generation. With that in mind, we as an organisation annually choose a ‘Woman of the Year’.

We begin the process with a mid-year meeting among all stakeholders and a tentative nomination list is drawn, the nominations are varied and the debates vigorous, never more so than in an era of amazing talents, achievements, excellence in diverse fields and women who have made a whole lot of positive change on the African continent. Our 2018 ‘Woman of the Year’ represents not only her trailblazing efforts but more importantly, embodies the hopes and achievements of millions of extraordinary women who make a difference every day across our nations and continent. KOKO’S 2018 Woman Of The Year is Transparency International’s activist-founder, convener of the#BringBackOurGirls campaign and Nigeria’s Presidential aspirant, Obiageli Ezekwesili. And ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili is the cover star of The KOKO Magazine (International) Special Edition.

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2019 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, OBY EZEKWESILI COVERS TW MAGAZINE’S NOVEMBER/DECEMBER ISSUE

TW magazine has featured 2019 Presidential candidate Obiageli Ezekwesili as the cover star for its November/December 2018 issue.

TW magazine wrote:

We know her as the woman who reformed the educational system during her years in office as Minister of Education. She is also the woman who would not let us forget our girls, championing the ‘Bring back our Girls’ campaign – never backing down or surrendering in the face of threat or menace.

She is Obiageli Catherine Ezekwesili, Oby Ezekwesili to most, ‘Ogeli to her family and in this edition, she let us into her world, shared her vision for our beloved country, revealed the man who helped her find her voice and why she believes she can be the next president.

Also in the magazine’s latest issue, the fashion column is a love letter to every big girl. For years, Temi Aboderin-Alao has worked tirelessly to put plus size girls on the map – her fashion line JP Kouture and the plus size fashion week is proof. In a revealing chat, she shares the struggles, the highs and the lows that went into her journey.

Still, on body positivity, TW’s special report on ‘FAT’ is an open and unguarded conversation with three women who shared what it’s like in the ‘Big girls’ world as they know of and live it.

Cover Credits:
Photographer: B.I.E Photography (@b.i.e_photography)
Stylist: Favour Olugu (@favolugu)
Makeup: Maryjane Ohobu for Zaron Cosmetics (@maryjaneohobu @zaroncosmetics)
Cover Story: Syreeta Akinyide (@syreetaakinyede)

 

News credit: Bella Naija

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