Being part of the  Development Methodologies Summer School hosted by UM6P – Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat, Morocco accorded Professor Evans Osabuohien the occasion to meet renowned 2019 Nobel Prize Laureate and founder of Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), Esther Duflo. The summer school was organised by Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and had Abhijit Banerjee, co-founder of J-PAL in attendance.

The event proved to be impactful, offering attendees a wealth of knowledge and networking opportunities. It was a gathering that brought together brilliant minds from Africa and beyond, reaffirming the fact that Morocco is home to wonderful people.

Prof Evans Osabuohien, Abhijit Banerjee (J-PAL Co-Founder) & other participants
Prof Evans Osabuohien with some of his mentees

An important feature of the Summer School was that participants grouped by language (Anglophone and Francophone) were given the opportunity to present the progress report of their project being funded by J-PAL . Prof Evans Osabuohien seized the moment to present his ongoing project on ‘Assessing the Effect of Digital and Flexible Payment Options on the Uptake of Health Insurance by the Nigerian Informal Sector’.  

During his presentation, he noted that the goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is crucial for sustainable development goals (SDGs). He added that developing countries grapple with the challenge of ensuring UHC due to the issue of the unregulated large informal sector and the uncertain nature of the earnings in the informal sector.

Prof Evans Osabuohien making his Presentation
Prof Evans Osabuohien with African Scholars Mentorship Network (ASMN) members who attended

It is worth noting that, a policy session aimed at linking researchers and policymakers was organised with high-ranking officials from the government of Morocco in attendance including the he French Embassy and other development partners.  This progressed to the dinnerinvitation of the French Ambassador who hosted the delegates and participants at the serene residence of the ambassador.

It would be recalled that Prof Evans. Osabuohien attend a similar workshop organized by Development Impact West Africa (DIWA) on Impact Evaluation Training and Matchmaking Workshop in March 2023 at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra, Ghana.

Prof Evans Osabuohien receiving his certificate
Prof Evans Osabuohien and French Ambassador to Morocco (His Excellency Mr. Christophe Lecourtier)

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