Immediate Past Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on November 13, will deliver the keynote address at the Africa World Initiative (AWI) at the prestigious Princeton University, the fourth-oldest college in the United States.
Co-hosted by the Program in African Studies – PAS, the AWI was established to harness and optimize the University initiatives focused on Africa and ensure a multi-way exchange with stakeholders on the African continent.
The AWI prides itself “as a new way of thinking about and engaging with Africa; a new space and platform for preparing for the widely predicted future in which Africa is expected to play an increasingly important role in world affairs due to changing global demographic patterns, the strengthening of its democratic and economic profile, and shifting geo-political alignments.”
In a statement announcing Osinbajo as speaker, the AWI noted that Osinbajo served as Nigeria’s Vice President for two consecutive terms, from May 2015 to May 2023, and as a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, led significant judicial reforms that became national models.
Beyond his tenure in office, Professor Osinbajo remains dedicated to advocating for climate action globally, the statement added.
“In 2023, he was appointed as Board Chair of the Climate Action Platform for Africa (CAP-A) and as a member of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Council. He founded the North-East Children’s Trust, for the creation of sustainable learning ecosystems for vulnerable children made orphans by the insurgency in North-East Nigeria, co-founded Future Perspectives, an organization focused on innovation, and serves as Guardian of the UNDP led Africa Innovation Foundation (timbuktoo).
“He is also an active member of the African Leaders Debt Relief Initiative (ALDRI) along with a number of former African Heads of State, committed to addressing the urgent challenges of the sovereign debt crisis gripping the African continent.”
As Vice President, Osinbajo led the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Economic Sustainability Plan, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July 2023, the former VP was appointed a Global Advisor to the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), to assist the organisation’s mission of accelerating clean energy deployment in developing countries.
