The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mahfouz Adedimeji

  • VC seeks world without war, calls for peace

    VC seeks world without war, calls for peace

    • By Kola Alhassan

    Vice Chancellor of the African School of Economics(ASE)  (The Pan-African University of Excellence), Mahfouz Adedimeji, has decried the regression of humanity and compassion, expressing hope that  there will be peace one day and that we should imagine a world without war.

    He spoke at the 2025 International Day of Peace organised by the African School of Economics  in Abuja, on Monday.

    While drawing attention to the indifference regarding the genocide committed against the Palestinians, Adedimeji observed that against the rationale behind the establishment of the international system represented by the United Nations, chaos is increasingly becoming the new world order.

    Read Also: Guterres: pillars of global peace, progress buckling

    An erstwhile Nigerian ambassador to Mozambique, with concurrent accreditation to Swaziland, Madagascar and Mauritius, Albert Omotayo, noted  that one of the reasons behind war is the failure of human beings  to recognise how they got here today. He noted that when man first appeared on earth, he was baffled by the expanse of all that he could see,  but realised the need to fight for his survival.

    According to the octogenarian philosopher and University of Manchester alumnus, world peace is unattainable in this age.

    He decried  the atrocities unfolding in Gaza, Ukraine and the insecurity in the country, attributing the attacks to the original belief of struggle, dominance and flourishing at the expense of others.

    The former envoy recommended that individuals and societies should characteristically practise forgiveness when they fall below one another’s standard and that people should let love motivate and shape their action to others. Assistant Commander of Corps, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Raymond Yusuf, and the Founder of Path to Peace Foundation, Mr Abubakar Akande, hailed  the African School of Economics and pledged their support to join the university in its peace advocacy and developmental initiatives for the betterment of the society and humanity at large.  They noted that this year’s theme:  “At Now For A Peaceful World” is a clarion call and an urgent message for everyone to embrace peace and shun violence and war.

  • VC blames greed for economic challenges

    VC blames greed for economic challenges

    • Says Tinubu steering Nigeria in  right direction

    The Vice Chancellor of the African School of Economics (The Pan-African University of Excellence), Abuja, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, has attributed the economic challenges facing a number of African countries to the greed of their leaders while advocating a paradigm shift that prioritises meeting the needs of many people over satisfying the greed of the few  in leadership positions.

    Adedimeji made this submission in his address:  Between Need and Greed, delivered at the 2nd Public Lecture of the university which was delivered by Susan HayesCulleton of Ulster University, Belfast, Ireland.

    According to him, while many countries in other parts of the world create conditions and develop sustainable models that ensure that people’s needs are met, the situation is different in many parts of Africa where economic conditions make life choking for the majority due to the greed and corruption of the leaders.

    He noted that Nigeria is moving in the right direction and acknowledged that the recent economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, though painful, are fruitful. He said the value of naira is appreciating at the forex market while there is also a gradual reduction  in the cost of petrol and that people actually have renewed hope in the country.

    The VC decried the desperation that has characterised the Nigerian society in the quest for quick financial breakthroughs.

    Read Also: Nigeria can earn $2.5billion annually from trades with Morocco – Abbas

    He said: “The focus of the youth should shift dramatically from interest in the primitive acquisition of wealth at the expense of moral values. Our society is becoming increasingly dangerous as a result of the appetitive avarice of the people, the young and the old. Recent developments about young people committing heart-shaking crimes of murder, ritual killing, and fraud have to be nipped in the bud through a systemic approach to human development. This is the approach that integrates the physical, educational, social, emotional, intellectual and cultural components to training people.”

    Adedimeji further highlighted the transition of Ireland from her challenging past to the current success story of resilience, adaptation and extraordinary transformation as a vibrant hub for innovation, technology and investment.

     He also drew attention to the need to learn from others especially China, which in the past one month had launched the new AI model, Deepseek, for public use, tested 6G Internet and got set to launch a kilometre-wide solar system far in the space, a system that is 10 times more efficient than the regular solar.

    In  her lecture: Economic Growth Models: The Irish Experience, Hayes Culleton noted that the nation’s economic growth has potential especially when it learns from the experiences of others, improves its  businesses to make them more sustainable and collaborates  to overcome the challenges of a changing environment while building international relationships.

    The lecturer also highlighted the implications of issues like immigration, climate change and Artificial Intelligence for economic productivity, social cohesion and sustainable development.

    The lecture was attended by dignitaries including the Ambassador of Ireland to Nigeria, Mr Peter Ryan, the Pro-Chancellor of African School of Economics, Princess Gloria Akobundu and the Vice-Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Prof. Noah Yusuf, who chaired the event.