By JKNewsMedia
CONVERSATIONS ON Africa’s digital resilience and economic integrity are set to take centre stage as Realnews Magazine and Publications Limited announces its 13th Anniversary Lecture Series, themed “Cybersecurity, Illicit Financial Flows and Achieving Agenda 2063 in Africa.”
According to a statement signed by Maureen Chigbo, Publisher and Editor of Realnews Magazine and Publications Limited, the annual lecture will take place at Radisson Blu Hotel, Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, starting at 10,00am prompt.
The statement noted that the 2025 edition will be delivered by a seasoned anti-corruption expert with connections to international and regional institutions such as the African Union High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows.
It added that a distinguished Honourable Chief Justice with links to public institutions will chair the event, while an Ambassador representing a major world power will deliver the keynote address.
Experts and chief executives from the financial technology, banking, and cybersecurity sectors will participate as discussants, with their names to be announced shortly.
Realnews stated that the anniversary lecture series was instituted to engage leading minds in critical conversations that contribute to Africa’s development and governance discourse.
It explained that the platform draws insights from distinguished leaders and policymakers whose experiences enrich national dialogue and shape public policy in line with the publication’s mission to promote investigative and ethical journalism.
The management reiterated that Realnews Magazine Online is a general-interest publication that thrives on in-depth, fact-based reporting across business, economy, and oil and gas sectors, including environmental concerns.
It stressed that the publication’s editorial focus remains centred on unearthing exclusive stories about real people and the challenges they face daily, with the goal of influencing positive policy action.
“Our objective is to use investigative journalism to expose information in critical sectors and produce unbiased reports that inspire government and decision-makers to act in ways that make society better,” the statement read.
“We believe that journalism, as the Fourth Estate of the Realm, plays a vital role in building a fair and just society where human rights are respected, and citizens can pursue their aspirations freely.”
Realnews highlighted that its editorial team consists of seasoned journalists with decades of experience and a shared commitment to professional ethics and social responsibility.
The publication reaffirmed its motto: “For God and Humanity,” describing it as a guiding principle in its operations and editorial philosophy.
The management further recalled the consistent tradition of thought leadership established through previous editions of the Realnews Anniversary Lecture Series.
In 2024, Ambassador Professor Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, delivered the 12th Anniversary Lecture. Edwin Harris Jr., Director General of the ECOWAS Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering (GIABA), presented the 11th Lecture in 2023, while Brigadier General Buba Marwa, Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), spoke in 2022 on “Drug Abuse among Youths in Africa: Implication for the Nigerian Economy and 2023 Election.”
The statement also cited other notable past speakers, including Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, who delivered the 9th Lecture in 2021 on “Nigeria in the Unfolding Integration of the African Market: The Oil and Gas Perspective,” and Boss Mustapha, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who presented the 8th Lecture in 2020 on “Managing COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa: The Nigeria Experience.”
Other distinguished personalities who have featured include former President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dr Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former United Nations Special Representative to West Africa and the Sahel, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Professor Maurice Iwu, former INEC Chairman.
The management urged stakeholders, professionals, and members of the public to save the date and participate in the 13th Anniversary Lecture, which it described as an opportunity to engage key experts and policymakers on Africa’s collective drive towards the realisation of the African Union Agenda 2063.
