Security and Nigeria's National Elections
Panelists examine the security situation at the national level and highlight innovative strategies being employed on the ground in violence-prone communities to anticipate, prevent, and militate against conflict. This conference is the third installment of an ongoing series, supported by the Ford Foundation, that brings Nigerian officials, civil society activists, and opinion leaders to Washington, D.C. to engage with U.S. policymakers and Africa experts on how best to ensure that Nigeria's 2015 elections are free, fair, and peaceful.
The agenda is as follows:
9:00 A.M.
Registration and Coffee
9:30 A.M.
Welcome and Introductions, Jennifer Cooke, Director, CSIS Africa Program
9:35 A.M. to 11 A.M.
Panel I: Security Challenges and the 2015 Elections
Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari
Founder, Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development and Former United Nations Under-Secretary General
Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim
Former Director, Centre for Democracy and Development
Frank Odita
Principal Consultant & CEO, Frankcom Ltd. and Former Police Commissioner of Lagos State
Ambassador Clement Layiwola Laseinde
Director, Policy & Strategy, Office of the National Security Adviser
11:00 A.M. to 11:15 A.M.
Break
11:15 A.M. to 12:45 P.M.
Panel II: Strategies to Prevent and Mitigate Violence
Chinedu Nwagu
Manager, CLEEN Foundation
Chom Bagu
Country Director, Nigeria, Search for Common Ground
Inemo Samiama
Country Director, Nigeria, Stakeholder Democracy Network
Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)
Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre
12:45 P.M. to 1 P.M.
Buffet lunch
1:00 P.M. to 1:55 P.M.
Keynote address, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
1:55 P.M. to 2:00 P.M.
Closing remarks, Peter Lewis, Director of African Studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
