Join leading economist and reformer Dr Shamsuddeen Usman as he presents his latest work, Public Policy and Agent Interests, which explores the “agency problem”, or the misalignment between public servants’ interests and the public good, as a root cause of governance failure in emerging economies. This event forms part of the Oxford African Governance Forum (OAGF).

Hosted by Stefan Dercon, Professor of Economic Policy and Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), Dr Usman will be joined in conversation by Dr Andrew Nevin, the Inaugural Director and Research Professor, Brainomics Venture at the Center for BrainHealth, University of Texas.

The discussion, moderated by Dr Michael Odijie, Associate Professor of African History and African Studies at Oxford University, will invite debate on how states can rebuild trust, strengthen institutions, and reorient policy towards the public interest. Other co-authors present will include Dr Temitope Laniran, an economist focused on resource-rich and fragile economies; and Nuruddeen Usman, an economist at the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) specialising in monetary policy and financial innovation.

Through contributions from eminent scholars and practitioners, Public Policy and Agent Interests examines issues such as evidence-based policymaking, fiscal and monetary governance, natural resource management, elite capture, and the breakdown of the social contract. Drawing on case studies from Nigeria and other developing contexts, the volume offers a powerful diagnosis of why many states struggle to translate vision into effective policy action, and what institutional reforms could realign incentives toward public service.

Dr Usman served as Nigerian Minister of Finance, Minister of National Planning, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and led major public finance initiatives including the Treasury Single Account and the Sovereign Wealth Fund. He is currently the Chairman of Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Nigeria's national asset management corporation.

Please note that only members of the University of Oxford may attend this event in person. To register, please use your University email address. Members of the public are welcome to join the event online.