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September 13, 2025 by Our Reporter
Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun will serve as chairman of the 12th public lecture of Four Square Gospel Church.
The General Overseer, Dr. Sam Aboyeji, disclosed this during a press conference heralding the church’s 70th annual national convention.
He said: On Wednesday, 17th September 2025, we shall be hosting the 12th Annual Public Lecture at The Marquee, Harbour Point, Wilmot Close, Off Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos at 11:00am. The public lecture is open to the general public, irrespective of tribe, race, religion, or political affiliation, and forms part of the activities preceding the 70th Annual Convention of our church.
This year, we shall be considering a topic that touches on the survival of the ordinary Nigerian, that is: “POVERTY ALLEVIATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND STABILITY OF THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY”. Poverty remains one of the most pressing challenges to Nigeria’s economic development and stability.
With recent media publications quoting a World Bank figure (April 2025), which puts the poverty rate amongst the Nigerian rural population at an alarming 75%, while 41% of the urban population is said to live below the poverty line, poverty alleviation is not merely a social issue but a critical economic imperative. In the words of 1998 Nobel Prize Winner, Indian economist and philosopher, Amartya Kumar Sen, “poverty is not just lack of income, but lack of capability to live with dignity”. Addressing poverty, therefore, requires structural reforms that empower citizens with skills, opportunities, and access to resources necessary for sustainable livelihoods.
The stability of the Nigerian economy depends on the extent to which poverty alleviation and economic development policies are effectively harmonized. A stable economy requires not only macroeconomic policies that control inflation and stabilize the naira, but also social policies that ensure equitable distribution of resources.”
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Gracing the occasion as the chairman of this year’s lecture series “is the Executive Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency, Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun, CON. Governor Abiodun has implemented a wide range of poverty-alleviation and economic development initiatives across agriculture, social welfare, education, health, youth empowerment, infrastructure, and investment promotion in Ogun State. Some of these initiatives include Magboro Rice Farm, ₦5billion Economic Relief Fund rolled out in 2024 to mitigate inflation and economic hardship, employment of over 4,000 teachers via “OgunTeach”, amongst other laudable and productive initiatives. Indeed, Governor Abiodun is a fitting personality to chair this annual lecture.
“Our guest lecturer is Dr. Doyin Salami, a Senior Fellow and Associate Professor at Lagos Business School (LBS), Pan-Atlantic University. He leads sessions in the Economic Environment of Business, and previously served as Chief Economic Adviser and Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council in the Buhari Administration.
“He was saddled with macroeconomic policy, fiscal matters, and economic strategy. His role was subsequently broadened to shape national economic policy, monitor trends, propose reforms, and support stability, growth, jobs, and poverty reduction. The guest lecturer will be supported in engaging our topic by a team of expert discussants, consisting of Pastor Ben Akabueze, former Director General, Budget and Planning of the Federation; Mrs. Ini Abimbola, Management Consultant and Vice President of Sustainability Professional Institute of Nigeria (SPIN); and Dr. Otive Igbuzor, former Country Director of Action Aid Nigeria.”
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