Former Ghanaian President John Mahama, ex-Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and other prominent African leaders will headline the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) 2025 Democracy Dialogue set to take place in Accra, Ghana, on Sept. 17.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Mr Ikechukwu Eze, Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, noted that the gathering will also bring together international development experts.
Among the dignitaries expected are former President Jonathan, Kadré Ouédraogo, former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso and ex-President of the ECOWAS Commission, and Dr Omar Alieu Touray, the current ECOWAS Commission President.
Also on the list is the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah.
Eze explained that the 2025 dialogue, themed “Why Democracies Die”, will be co-hosted with the Government of Ghana.
He added that the forum will provide participants with an avenue to assess the gains, setbacks, and future of democratic governance in West Africa.
According to him, the session will be chaired by Obasanjo, while Bishop Kukah will deliver the keynote address.
Since 2021, the Foundation has hosted the annual series as a platform for examining the health and sustainability of democracy across the continent.
Last year’s edition centred on “Purposeful Education” and featured Prof. Olubayi Olubayi, a renowned Kenyan educationist and Chief Academic Officer at Maarifa Education, who argued for merit-driven higher institutions and research-based universities to drive technological progress in Africa.
For 2025, the dialogue will spotlight the erosion of democratic norms and explore strategies to strengthen governance and accountability in the region.
Eze expressed confidence that Bishop Kukah, alongside the panelists and other experts, will generate practical insights to help halt democratic decline and revive the values of participatory rule.
He stressed that the deliberations are expected to produce recommendations that can guide policymakers in protecting democracy and ensuring it delivers on the aspirations of citizens.