Layeni-Dawodu colloquium seeks intellectual approach to public engagement

A colloquium convened by businessman and politician, Adeola Layeni-Dawodu, has called for a more intellectually grounded approach to political participation and discussions around governance in Nigeria.

The colloquium, which held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, had the theme, “Renewed Hope, Real Progress: Highlighting the Achievements of the Tinubu Administration and Building a Stronger Tomorrow Together.”

Speaking on the motivation behind the event, Layeni-Dawodu said the initiative was driven by a desire to create a platform where issues of governance could be discussed beyond rallies, slogans and political personalities.

He said, “The inspiration was really a desire to create a more intellectually grounded conversation about governance.

“Politics is often discussed through rallies, slogans and personalities, but governance itself deserves a more serious interrogation. President Tinubu’s administration has undertaken significant reforms across the economy, infrastructure, agriculture, education, housing, energy and social investment, and I felt there was value in creating a platform where those issues could be examined beyond the usual political rhetoric.

“For me, the colloquium was therefore not simply about praising an administration. It was about asking: What has been done? Why were these decisions taken? What has been achieved? What challenges remain? And what should the next phase of the Renewed Hope agenda look like?

“I believe political engagement should contribute to the intellectual development of society. That was the spirit behind the colloquium.”

Explaining the choice of speakers, the convener said competence, relevance and experience were the major considerations.

He noted that the organisers deliberately brought together academics, policy practitioners, political actors, professionals and others with knowledge of the sectors discussed at the event.

On the objectives and outcome of the programme, Layeni-Dawodu said the event was designed to encourage informed public discourse and document conversations around the first three years of the administration.

He added that the event was also intended to demonstrate that political support could coexist with constructive questioning and accountability.

“The immediate objective was to encourage informed public discourse and properly document the conversation around the first three years of the administration.

“But beyond that, I wanted people to leave the room understanding that political participation does not have to be superficial. You can support a government and still ask difficult questions. You can acknowledge progress and still identify areas where more needs to be done,” he said.

Layeni-Dawodu maintained that he was encouraged by the quality of participation and discussions at the event, but noted that the colloquium should not be seen as an indication that all challenges had been resolved.

“The quality of participation and the depth of the conversations demonstrated that there is an appetite for a more substantive form of political engagement. But I would not say the work is finished. In fact, a successful colloquium should create more questions and more responsibility, not give us the impression that everything has been solved,” he said.

• Rivers Labour Party not part of Rainbow Coalition – Ex-party zonal chairman, Reuben
• Alumni honour IG Disu with lifetime award
• Police bust Lagos syndicate over N20bn goods diversion

Addressing the perception of political engagement as being largely centered on rallies and grassroots mobilisation, he called for a broader understanding of participation in a democracy.

He added that political structures could be built alongside intellectual capacity, noting that political supporters should also be able to scrutinise and evaluate policies.

“You can mobilise people and still educate them. You can build political structures and still build intellectual capacity. You can support a political party and still insist that its policies should be properly explained and their outcomes evaluated.

“That is the kind of political culture I would like to see develop in Nigeria,” he said.

Speaking on his political aspirations, Layeni-Dawodu said his immediate focus was on building capacity and contributing to public discourse, governance and community development.

He said, “In the short term, my aspiration is to continue building my capacity and contributing meaningfully to public discourse, governance and community development. I want to remain engaged with issues that directly affect people, particularly housing, youth development, urban renewal, economic opportunity and the preservation of our cultural identity.”

He added that he believed political ambition should be accompanied by adequate preparation.

“Political ambition should never be separated from preparation. You should prepare yourself for responsibility before responsibility comes to you.

“In the long term, I would like to serve at a level where I can translate ideas into tangible outcomes and contribute to better governance, particularly for Lagos and Nigeria.

“But I don’t want to define my political journey simply by the office I eventually occupy. For me, the more important question is what value I am able to create wherever I find myself.”

Other speakers at the colloquium included a former member of the House of Representatives and Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Parastatal Monitoring, Ibrahim Obanikoro, who spoke on internal affairs; Senior Lecturer in the Department of Employment Relations and Human Resource Management at the University of Lagos, Dr Tunde Elegbede, who spoke on education; and Adebisi Akinyemi, a director at Zane Systems and strategic aircraft procurement partner, who addressed issues concerning the Federal Capital Territory.

Also speaking were the Chief Executive Officer of Candiva Signature Empire, Aminat Okikiola, who discussed agriculture; lawyer and public advocate, Belinda Ezofor, popularly known as Belinda Uju, who spoke on petroleum; communication professional and consultant, Biodun Bakare, who addressed works; and Uju Odumodu, a senior executive at Alpha Pharmacy and Stores Ltd and General Manager at Lasena Water, who spoke on health.