The Director General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Dr. Baba Yusuf Musa, has been elected as the 45th President of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES). Before his election, Dr. Musa was the Vice President and Council Member of the Nigerian Economic Society.
Dr. Musa’s emergence as President of NES is one of the high points of the 66th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Economic Society which came to a close in Abuja on Thursday.
Dr. Musa succeeds Professor Adeola Adenikinju who bowed out on Thursday at the end of his two-year tenure.
The conference which was declared open on Tuesday by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, featured Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who chaired the opening ceremony; and Professor James Robinson, a joint winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics and joint author of the book Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty as one of the speakers
Dr. Musa is stepping into the position that was once occupied by economic greats like Professor Ojetunji Aboyade, Chief Philip Asiodu, Dr. Pius Okigbo, Prof. Sam Aluko, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, Professor Akpan Hogan Ekpo.
The following were also elected into the 2025-2027 NES Council: Prof. Aliyu R. Sanusi (Vice President I), Prof. Emeka Osuji (Vice President II), Dr. Victor Akidi (National Secretary), Dr. Ekesiobi C. Sylvester (Assistant Secretary), Prof. Abiodun Folawewo (Editor), Prof. Evans Osabuohien (Assistant Editor), Prof. Mohammed Yelwa (Assistant Editor), Dr. Ekundayo Mesagan (Assistant Editor). Ohers are Dr. Idris M. Idris (Business Manager), Dr. Oluwafemi Adeboje (Publicity Secretary), Dr. Jeremiah Dandaura (Internal Auditor), Prof. Adeola Adenikinju ((Ex- Officio), Prof. Uche Uwaleke (Ex Officio), Prof. Amaka Metu (Ex Officio), Prof. Salamatu Isa (Ex Officio).
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Musa said “in the coming months, we will embark on collaborative process to develop a new strategic plan for the Nigerian Economic Society.”
The plan, he stated, will be a collective effort that welcomes the invaluable input of the members, the wisdom of the College of Fellows and Past Presidents, and the dedication of the council members, noting that “this document will serve as our guide, a compass to reposition us, define our future trajectory, and ensure that our actions are deliberate, impactful, and aligned with our shared vision”, pointing out that “this vision will be anchored on four core pillars forming the bedrock of our work.”
He listed the four pillars as:
- Reclaiming our voice: Evidence-based advocacy
- Investing for Tomorrow – Youth and Capacity Building
- The Data Revolution – Driving Research and Innovation
- A Collective Endeavour – Fostering Partnerships and Collaboration and Completing the NES Building.
Throwing more light on the four pillars with regard to ‘Evidence-based advocacy’, he said “We will establish a new Policy Advocacy and Engagement Committee that will be the bridge between our members’ research and the corridors of power.”
The committee, he said, will be tasked with Quarterly Policy Briefs, Structured Dialogue, and State-level Impact. According to him, the state-level impact will involve empowering and supporting state chapters of NES to engage directly with their state governments, providing expertise on state-specific economic challenges and helping to develop tailored solutions that can drive growth from the grassroots up.
With regard to Youth and Capacity Building, he said “We will transform our society into a launchpad for young talent through the following initiatives: The NextGen Economists Programme, National Economic Debating Championship, and Digital Learning Hub”.
On The Data Revolution – Driving Research and Innovation, he said he will foster a culture of innovative, rigorous, and relevant economic research through the establishment of a National Economic Data Portal, The Annual Economic Research Grant, and rebooting of The Nigeria Journal of Economic and Social Studies.
Dwelling on A Collective Endeavour – Fostering Partnerships and Collaboration and Completing the NES Building, he said he will build strong, strategic partnerships that amplify the impact of NES and extend its reach.
This, he said, will be done through engaging the private sector. He explained that “We will work closely with the private sector, leveraging their expertise and resources to drive innovation and create jobs. Our insights will help businesses make better decisions, and their data will enrich our research.”
Harping on engagement with the media on economic and financial reporting, he said “Our knowledge must not be confined to academic circles. We must support the government to disseminate policies with sound practice. We need to support the government to train the media to report accurately so that the public will be well-informed. We will simplify complex economic issues, empower our citizens with knowledge, and build a more economically literate society.”
He concluded his speech with a call to action: “Let us work together to ensure that the Nigerian Economic Society is not just a society of economists but a society of builders, of innovators, and of patriots. Let us be the voice of reason in a time of uncertainty. Let us be the source of light in a time of darkness. Let us be the architects of a new Nigeria, built on the foundations of knowledge, integrity, and shared prosperity.”
Dr. Baba Yusuf Musa is an internationally acclaimed economist, seasoned public finance expert, and leading authority in sovereign debt management, with an illustrious career spanning over three decades of transformative service across the African continent.
As the current Director General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), a flagship institution founded by the central banks of The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, Dr. Musa has championed a bold vision for economic transformation, institutional resilience, and regional integration through capacity development and policy innovation.
A dynamic strategist and institutional reformer, Dr. Musa’s professional journey reflects an unyielding commitment to strengthening public financial management systems and building sustainable macroeconomic frameworks.
At WAIFEM, he leads strategic programming that has trained thousands of senior officials from central banks, ministries of finance, planning commissions, and debt management offices in areas including macroeconomic analysis, debt sustainability, fiscal governance, and monetary policy design.
His tenure has seen the Institute become a pan-African centre of excellence in economic training and research, enhancing economic governance and human capital development across Anglophone West Africa and beyond.
Before he was appointed Director General, Dr. Musa served with distinction as Director of Fiscal Policy, Debt Management, and Regional Integration at WAIFEM from 2011 to 2018. He earlier spent over 21 years at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), where he held several key technical and policy roles, contributing significantly to macroeconomic stabilization, financial sector reform, and public debt coordination efforts at both national and sub-national levels.
Before he was appointed Director General, Dr. Musa served with distinction as Director of Fiscal Policy, Debt Management, and Regional Integration at WAIFEM from 2011 to 2018.
He earlier spent over 21 years at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), where he held several key technical and policy roles, contributing significantly to macroeconomic stabilisation, financial sector reform, and public debt coordination efforts at both national and sub-national levels.
