MEDIA ADVISORY - Africa Works: Making debt relief work for the poor in
Nigeria

OTTAWA, Oct. 22 /CNW/ - In the 21st century, Africa is emerging as a dynamic and innovative continent. This new Africa boasts a reservoir of young talent, a growing market for cutting-edge technologies, and a source of fresh ideas. Amina Ibrahim, Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the Millennium Development Goals, will discuss how these trends are advancing human development in a lecture at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) on October 25. 

When: Monday, October 25, 2010, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where: IDRC, 150 Kent Street (Corner of Albert), 8th floor, Ottawa, ON

Before becoming Senior Special Assistant, Amina Ibrahim served as the National Coordinator of the Education for All process in Nigeria.  She is the co-founder and head of the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All, an alliance of 124 organizations working to improve education in Nigeria. Ibrahim is also a founding partner and executive director of the Afri-Projects Consortium, an engineering firm providing multi-disciplinary consultancy services that cover all phases of development programs in key sectors, such as education, agriculture, water, and health.  In 2006, she was made an Officer of the Federal Republic, and in 2007 she was inducted into the Nigerian Women's Hall of Fame.  Ibrahim is currently serving her first term on the Board of Governors of IDRC. 

Ibrahim's lecture is the twelth in the Speakers of Renown series, which is being held throughout 2010 to mark IDRC's 40^th anniversary. 

The event is open to the media. French and English simultaneous interpretation is available. Spaces are limited and journalists are encouraged to register by calling Isabelle Bourgeault-Tassé at 613-696- 2343 or e-mailing at [email protected]. 

Journalists and the public can join in the conversation through Twitter (#IDRC) and Facebook.  For more information and the live webcast, visit www.idrc.ca/events-ibrahim.

About IDRC To achieve self-reliance, poor communities need answers to questions like: How can we grow more and healthier food? Protect our health? Create jobs? IDRC supports research in developing countries to answer these questions. IDRC also encourages sharing this knowledge with policymakers, other researchers, and communities around the world. The result is innovative, lasting local solutions that aim to bring choice and change to those who need it most.

For further information:

Isabelle Bourgeault-Tassé / ([phone] / [email protected]