Security and Nigeria's National Elections

Panelists examine the security situation at the national level and highlight innovative strategies being employed on the ground in violence-prone communities to anticipate, prevent, and militate against conflict. This conference is the third installment of an ongoing series, supported by the Ford Foundation, that brings Nigerian officials, civil society activists, and opinion leaders to Washington, D.C. to engage with U.S. policymakers and Africa experts on how best to ensure that Nigeria's 2015 elections are free, fair, and peaceful.

The agenda is as follows:

9:00 A.M.

Registration and Coffee

9:30 A.M.

Welcome and Introductions, Jennifer Cooke, Director, CSIS Africa Program

9:35 A.M. to 11 A.M.

Panel I: Security Challenges and the 2015 Elections

Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari 
Founder, Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development and Former United Nations Under-Secretary General

Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim
Former Director, Centre for Democracy and Development

Frank Odita
Principal Consultant & CEO, Frankcom Ltd. and Former Police Commissioner of Lagos State

Ambassador Clement Layiwola Laseinde
Director, Policy & Strategy, Office of the National Security Adviser 

11:00 A.M. to 11:15 A.M. 

Break

11:15 A.M. to 12:45 P.M.

Panel II: Strategies to Prevent and Mitigate Violence

Chinedu Nwagu
Manager, CLEEN Foundation

Chom Bagu
Country Director, Nigeria, Search for Common Ground

Inemo Samiama
Country Director, Nigeria, Stakeholder Democracy Network

Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)
Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre

12:45 P.M. to 1 P.M.

Buffet lunch 

1:00 P.M. to 1:55 P.M.

Keynote address, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State

1:55 P.M. to 2:00 P.M.

Closing remarks, Peter Lewis, Director of African Studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies