Formation: The Nigerian Economic Society (NES) was formed in 1957 by Nigerian scholars as a united platform for Nigerian Economists and allied Social Scientists to provide intellectual leadership in the process of understanding and managing economic, social and political change in Nigeria. The first constitution of the Society was adopted on January 4, 1958. The Nigerian Economic Society organized its first seminar on April 5, 1958 at London and began publishing its main organ, Nigerian Journal of Economic and Social Studies (NJESS) in 1959.
Objectives:
- The study of the economic and social problems of Nigeria and for Members to express opinions thereon.
- Make Nigerian Economists and Social Scientist relevant to Nigerian economic, social and political processes.
- Stimulate public interest in Economics and Social Studies, encourage the study and discussion of relevant problems with special reference to Nigeria, and provide a means of intercourse between persons interested in the fields of study.
Membership:
- Any graduate of economics or allied subjects (Nigerians and non-Nigerians), or anyone adjudged to be sufficiently knowledgeable in Economics or allied subjects by the National Executive Council is eligible for admission into the Society on application.
- Membership of the Society:- The membership of the Society consists of six categories:
- Associate Membership: graduates of five years or less
- Full Membership: Graduates of more than five years
- Life Membership: After five years of full financial membership
- Corporate Membership: Businesses or non-academic departments of tertiary institutions
- Institutional Membership: Academic departments of tertiary institutions
- Life Corporate membership: Paid-up Corporate members after five years of registration
- The Society has 200 Associate Members, 1768 Full Members, 730 Life membership, 23 Corporate Members, 40 Institutional members and 13 Life Corporate members.
Rights and Privileges of Paid-up Members:
- Right to attend and participate in all the activities of the Society
- Right to attend and participate in Annual General Meeting of the Society
- Free Copy of Newsletter
- Free Copy of Journal (Associate Members are excluded).
- Election to Fellowship of the Society (Full and life members subject to constitutional provisions)
· Annual Activities (Calender)
The Nigerian Economic Society has three main annual activities. They are: the One-Day Seminar, The Annual Conference and the Public Lecture.
One-Day Seminar
The one day seminar holds annually in Lagos within March-May and is the forum the NES uses to interface mainly with the organized private sector. The theme and sub-themes are carefully chosen for their relevance and timeliness. The first seminar of The Society was held on Saturday, April 5, 1958 in London, a year after the founding of the Society. The four papers presented at the Seminar and their authors are as follows:
- Some Social Implications of Economic Change in Nigeria - DR. L. P. MAIR
- Rail-Road Problems in Nigeria - G.O. IJEKWERE
- Agriculture and Economic Development in Nigeria - S.A. ALUKO
- Agriculture and Economic Development in Tropical Africa - DR. H.A. OLUWASANMI
The founding members of the Society saw the seminar as one of the initial steps in making a positive “impact upon the social, political and economic revolutions (then) taking place” in Nigeria. The issues each of the four papers addressed remain topical even today. Since that first seminar, the society has always chosen as conference and seminar themes, issues of current theoretical and policy relevance to Nigeria’s economic development.
In the recent past, the NES collaborated with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the National Centre for Economic Management and Administration (NCEMA) to organize the Annual Budget Seminar. In the past two years, the collaboration on the Annual Budget Seminar has been between the Nigerian Economic Society and the Chattered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
Annual Conference
The Annual Conference facilitates annual intercourse between persons interested in the field of Economics, encourages the study and discussion of national, regional and global economic problems and where members present cutting edge research on a selected theme and sub-themes. The Annual Conference contains two main activities:
- Presentation of papers on a major theme and sub-themes
- Annual General Meeting where among other things, the President, Secretary, Editor and Business Manager render account to members at the AGM of their activities in the last financial year. In election years, the AGM elects new officers into the National Executive Council of the Society.
Public Lecture
The Annual Public Lecture is the setting for NES/Government interface and holds in Abuja, Nigeria's political capital. The Guest Lecturers are carefully chosen such that both Government and NES can benefit from the capacities, wisdom and experience of persons that have distinguished themselves as public servants or academics. The lists of past Guest Lecturers include Professor Adebayo Adedeji, Late Professor Sam Aluko, Dr. Ola Vincent and Professor H.M.A. Onitiri, Professor M.O. Kayode among others.
NES National Assignments
The NES was very active in the drafting of country’s FSS 2020 and the Vision 20:2020. At the moment, the NES is represented on the National Economic Management Team (NEMT), Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN and other important national policy-making committees.
