The Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Association of Nigeria (HKSAAN) has successfully held its 2017 HKSAAN Forum Series - The Nigeria We Deserve: Strengthening Governance Through Political Participation in Lagos. The featured speakers were the Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, and Ms. Ayisha Osori, MPA 2010 Author, Love Does Not Win Elections.

The speakers discussed Ms. Osori’s book, and shared insights from their individual experiences in political participation and public service as a way of improving governance for the benefit of all Nigerians.

The recurring theme of the evening was that the Nigeria we deserve has to be led by inclusive leaders who authentically connect with the legitimate needs of all Nigerians and diligently invest their time, expertise and other resources to addressing the various interests of multiple stakeholders. The 2-hour event was spent in an engaging discussion amongst the more than 150 participants in attendance sharing their insights into the divisions between the private sector and political sector, the incentives that drive both sectors and the need to bridge these gaps.

Mrs. Olu Verheijen, the Vice Chairperson of HKSAAN, articulated the vision of the HKSAAN Forum Series which seeks to build on the concept of the John F Kennedy Jr. Forum at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.

“The HKSAAN Forum Series offers a non-partisan platform to engage leaders in politics, government, business with the objective is to inspire all Nigerians to play a critical role in good governance by finding purpose in serving their communities and advancing the public interest. The response to the 2017 Forum Series has been remarkable and HKSAAN intends to host further engagements in 2018,” she said.

The Harvard Kennedy School is a graduate and professional school that equips current and future leaders with tools to develop solutions to challenging problems across the private, public and nonprofit sectors and advance the public interest. It also facilitates intellectual exchange among global leaders in the Forum, visiting experts in the classroom and our diverse HKS community.