Conference No: 31863 
Date: Mon, November 10, 2014 to Thu, November 13, 2014
Venue: Sheraton Hotel, Abuja
Time: 10am 
I. Background
In July 2012, three years to the target date of 2015 set for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the UN Secretary General set up a High Level Panel (HLP) of Eminent Persons to make recommendations on the development agenda beyond 2015. Our Coordinating Minister of Economy and Honourable Minister of Finance and Fellow of the Nigerian Economic Society, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was one of the 20 Eminent Persons Panel Co-Chaired by Her Excellency, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, His Excellency Susilo Bambang Yudholyono, President of Indonesia and His Excellency David Cameron, Prime Minister of United Kingdom. The High Level Panel submitted its report on May 30, 2013.

The 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, on January 31, 2014, adopted the Common African Position (CAP) on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The CAP on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, grouped Africa’s development priorities into six pillars. These are: (i) Structural Economic Transformation and Inclusive Growth (ii) Science, Technology and Innovation (iii) People-Centred Development (iv) Environmental Sustainability Natural Resources Management, and Disaster Risk Management (v) Peace and Security (vi) Finance and Partnerships.

The 2014 NES Annual Conference on “Post-2015 Global Development Agenda: Nigeria’s Engagement and Roadmap for Early Delivery in Nigeria” is in line with the call by the Heads of State and Government of the AU to adopt concrete measures to ensure full realization of the Post-2015 Global Development Agenda. The primary objective of the conference is to bring together national and international scholars, researchers and experts to diagnose and articulate contextually relevant practicable measures necessary to ensure full realization of key elements of the six pillars and enablers of the CAP on Post 2015 development agenda in Nigeria well before 2030.

II. CONFERENCE MODALITIES
The conference featured welcome remarks and brief statements by major stakeholders in Nigerian development during the opening ceremony chaired by Chief Philip Asiodu; conferment of fellowships when Chief Asiodu, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji and Prof. Olu Ajakaiye robed the new Fellow of NES; keynote address by Prof. V.P. Diejomaoh; a presentation by Prof. Francisco Ferreira, Chief Economist, Africa Region of the World Bank; the presidential address; and, plenary and concurrent sessions. It also featured PhD Thesis award, a dinner speech on Plan-Budget Link by Prof. M.I. Obadan which also witnessed the presence of His Excellency, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, Executive Governor of Gombe State; two policy roundtables, special panel on teaching of economics, research and publications. In all, a total of seven (7) well-researched papers were presented in two plenary sessions by eminent scholars from within and outside the country, including the Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Kenya, Uganda, United States, Zambia, among others. Also a total of five (5) well-researched papers were presented at the two policy roundtables and fifty nine (62) papers were presented and discussed in four concurrent and special sessions.

III. RECOMMENDATIONS
The six thematic areas of the conference received adequate attention throughout the four days of the conference presentations and deliberations. At the end of the conference, the followings recommendations are proffered:

A. Structural Economic Transformation and Inclusive Growth

i) There should be policy consistency, coordination and coherence through effective data (evidence-based) generation and management for purposes of policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation;
ii) In view of the connect between inclusive growth and poverty reduction and inequality, there should be improved access to capital and technical support to the informal sectors of the economy as part of the strategy for upgrading, energizing and formalizing the sector;
iii) Government should reassess and prioritize the energy needs of the country in the light of available sources of energy and address the technical, institutional and financial constraints bedeviling the system of power generation and distribution;
iv) Government, in collaboration with the private sector and development partners, should take advantage of the decentralized federal structure in facilitating development outcomes while ensuring strong coordination among the constituent parts;
v) There should be increased government budgetary allocation in favour of capital expenditure for both new investments and maintenance of existing assets while promoting assiduous budget implementation;
vi) A system of planning which derives and encapsulates the norms, values, religion, culture, traditions, etc., of the Nigerian society should be adopted as was the case in most successful Asian countries; and

vii) There should be vigorous pursuit of economic transformation and industrialization aimed at strengthening inter-industry linkages, especially among agriculture, manufacturing and commerce for effective value addition and creation of decent jobs.

B. Science, Technology and Innovation:
i) The Federal Government, in view of the importance of research and innovation as drivers of technological advancement, is urged to re-name the present Ministry of Science and Technology into Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation whose duties, among others, should be to document, patent, protect and promote research and innovation in Nigeria; and,
ii) The Federal Government is urged to strengthen its support to universities of science and technology, polytechnics, research centers and institutes for promotion of research and development.

C. People-Centred Development:
i) Government at all levels should ensure adequate staffing and funding of health and educational services to ensure inclusive and equitable distribution of quality health services and education albeit in compliance with the African Union Declarations on allocation of 20% and 15% of the budget to funding education and health activities, respectively;
ii) All stakeholders should collaborate in turning the youth bulge into demographic dividends through productive engagement and development of critical mass of youths skills, that is, learning, literacy and life skills;
iii) All arms of government at all levels should improve quality of governance in their institutions and reduce the cost of governance in the country;
iv) In order to promote domestic capital formation all stakeholders should leverage on capital market, DMBs, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, microfinance institutions, etc and promote policies necessary to reduce cost of capital for productive investment;
v) There should be adequate investment in social services (health, education and community development) to cater for rapid population growth and the vulnerable groups;
vi) The legal framework and anti-corruption institutions and agencies engaged in the fight against misuse of public resources and other unethical practices across the three tiers of government should be strengthened, adequately resourced and empowered;
vii) All stakeholders should significantly improve school enrollment at both primary and post primary levels while acknowledging the significant increase in the number of universities and other tertiary institutions in the country; and
viii) Government should set realistic and attainable targets to promote gender equality and tackle gender-based violence with greater commitment.

D. Environmental Sustainability Natural Resources Management and Disaster Risk Management:
i) All stakeholders should leverage on diverse sources of clean and renewable energy resources endowment (solar, hydro, wind), bio-energy potentials while tapping into clean technology finance to boost energy efficiency;

ii) Government should strengthen the disaster management and relief agencies for effective and prompt control of flooding, erosion, desertification, sanitation, diseases control, etc.; and
iii) Nigeria should actively participate in regional gas and hydropower projects in collaboration with African Development Bank (AfDB) and other competitive funding institutions across the globe in order to effectively and efficiently harness Nigeria’s enormous potentials.

E. Peace and Security:
i) Government should deepen social protection and safety nets for the vulnerable groups including provision of free health services for infants and pregnant women in rural areas as well as food and shelter to displaced people in crises torn communities;
ii) Government and all stakeholders should effectively and efficiently address the wave of insecurity situation in the country which continue to take serious toll on the lives and properties as well as on educational and health institutions in the affected areas;
iii) Government at all levels should promote sincerity among public servants in handling projects and programmes that are of strategic importance to economic development, espouse zero tolerance on corruption and promote quick dispensation of justice;
iv) Government, development partners and other stakeholders should implement a jobs-for -peace policy in crisis stricken areas, especially in the troubled North Eastern zone of Nigeria as had been done in the Niger Delta;
v) All relevant institutions and agencies of government should intensify efforts aimed at sensitizing Nigerians on the imperative of peace and security for growth and prosperity.

F. Finance and Partnerships
i) The implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Infrastructure Action Plan (IAP) through alternative and cost effective investment options especially in energy and transport (road, rail, seaport, and airport) should be vigorously pursued by all stakeholders;
ii) Government and labour should find a permanent solution to incessant industrial actions especially among the health and educational institutions’ workers to promote harmonious industrial relations and enhance productivity; and
iii) Government at all levels should develop, nurture, support, strengthen and promote indigenous entrepreneurs capable of partnering, collaborating and joining forces with their foreign counterparts for mutually beneficial relationships including effective knowledge and technological transfer.

IV. CONCLUSION/WAY FORWARD
Conference participants unanimously concur that as part of the roadmap for early delivery on the Post-2015 Development Agenda in Nigeria, leaders should pragmatically embrace participatory development planning with associated strong plan-budget link. Leaders should also engage and work in concert with all stakeholders in articulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development policies and programmes. This way, Nigeria will achieve the goals and targets of the six pillars of the Common African Position (CAP) on Post-2015 Development Agenda well before 2030 and provide the much desired leadership for the region and Africa at large.

Conference Editorial Committee:
Prof. Olu Ajakaiye, President, NES
Prof. Ndubisi Nwokoma (NES Editor in Chief)
Prof. Shehu Usmanu Rano Aliyu (Conference Editor/Associate Editor),
Assoc. Prof. Abiodun S. Bankole (Associate Editor)
Dr. Patterson Ekeocha (Associate Editor)