UNN’s Ifelunini to Deliver Keynote at Advocate Lecture on Governance and Development
UGHELLI/Nigeria: The Advocate Publication Lecture Series Board of Council (ALSBC) has announced renowned development economist, Professor Abanum Innocent Ifelunini of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, as the keynote speaker for the Second Edition of the Advocate Publication Ltd Annual Lecture Series.
The announcement was made in a statement signed by Mr. Shedrack Onitsha, Secretary General of ALSBC, confirming that the lecture will hold on April 25, 2025, at Wetland Hotel, Ughelli. This year’s theme, “Between Governance and Politics: The Delicate Balancing to Ensure Growth and Development,” aims to stimulate critical conversations on managing the intersection of governance and politics to foster sustainable national development.
Chairman of the ALSBC, Mr. Abraham Ogbodo, a veteran journalist and former Editor of The Guardian, expressed confidence in the selection of Professor Ifelunini, describing him as “a leading voice in development economics with extensive academic and practical experience in governance, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.”
Professor Ifelunini brings an impressive academic and professional pedigree to the event. An alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he holds a B.Sc (Ed) degree in Economics, alongside a Postgraduate Diploma, M.Sc, and PhD degrees in Development Economics. Currently a Professor at the Department of Economics, University of Nigeria, and a Senior Research Fellow at the Resource & Environmental Policy Research Centre, Environment for Development Initiative (EfD), Nigeria, he has played an influential role in economic policy and environmental economics since 2013.
His research and professional engagements span collaborations with major international and national institutions, including the World Bank, African Economic Research Consortium, Central Bank of Nigeria, National Geographic Society, and the Swedish International Development Agency. He is presently leading a research grant on Agro Feminization, Climate Smart Agriculture Technology Adoption and Food Security: Evidence from Nigeria Panel Data, funded by Akademiya 2063.
Beyond academia, Professor Ifelunini has held strategic roles, serving as Program Specialist at the Central Bank of Nigeria Entrepreneurship Development Centre (South East Nigeria), coordinator of the postgraduate program at UNN’s Department of Economics, and Director of University of Nigeria Transport Route (UNTransroute). He is also an external examiner and professorial assessor for several universities within and outside Nigeria.
Committed to knowledge sharing and capacity building, Professor Ifelunini has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles, many indexed in Thomson Reuters (Clarivate Analytics) and SCOPUS. He has presented over 30 papers at major local and international conferences in cities including Nairobi, Dakar, Johannesburg, and Abidjan.
The ALSBC said this year’s lecture promises to offer invaluable insights into how governance and politics can be harmonized for national growth. The session is expected to attract scholars, policymakers, civil society leaders, students, and members of the public interested in advancing Nigeria’s development agenda.
