Nigeria, Aug. 26 -- It started with visible empty seats. Then, suddenly, the rotunda of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - designed for elite class activities - got thronged with quality audience. It was a well-planned, well-attended, and brilliantly executed event, with a theme that spoke to the moment.

The audience comprised ambassadors, top government representatives, technocrats, seasoned policy makers, tested security experts, confirmed women leaders, development specialists, civil society groups, young leaders, partners, and representatives of everyone connected to the issues that formed the centre of discourse.

Coordinating the events, with her trademark diplomatic finesse, was the ever-elegant veteran broadcast journalist, author...