Ambassador Dr Martin Uhomoibhi: Nigeria: African Giant

Australians generally have limited understanding of Africa.  The most populous country on that continent is Nigeria whose population of 152 million, split about evenly between Moslems and Christians, makes it the seventh most populous country in the world.  With a political history since independence in 1960 punctuated by periods of military rule, the more recent restoration of democracy and subsequent economic reforms has begun to pay significant dividends.  Included in a group of countries referred to as the ‘next eleven’ – those, together with the BRICs, expected to be amongst the world’s largest economies later this century - Nigeria has been enjoying impressive economic growth over the last few years.  A country rich in oil resources, Nigeria is the world’s twelfth largest producer of oil and the eighth largest exporter. This event is an opportunity to gain an appreciation of Nigeria’s growing importance in global affairs from that country’s most senior diplomat, Dr Uhomoibhi, who will discuss Nigeria’s foreign policy in contemporary international politics.  This insight will undoubtedly provide a point of entry for those seeking a broader understanding of the potentiality of Africa as this century unfolds. Dr Uhomoibhi was educated at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and the University of Oxford, where he received his doctorate in modern history and international relations.  After lecturing for some years at the University of Ibadan, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984, where he has served in Belgrade, New York, and Addis Ababa, as well as various posts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.  Prior to his current appointment in 2010 as the Permanent Secretary of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva and Ambassador to Switzerland.