Anyaoku to Chair 2026 Awolowo Memorial Lecture in Ikenne

Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, is set to chair the 2026 Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Lecture on Friday, March 6, in Ikenne, Ogun State, organisers said.

The Awolowo Foundation said the programme will hold at Efunyela Hall, inside the Awolowo residence, and will feature a keynote lecture by Prof. Wale Adebanwi, Presidential Penn Compact Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The lecture theme is “Politics as Future-Making: Awolowo and Leadership as Theory of Action.”

Mrs Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, Executive Director of the Foundation, said the annual event is timed to coincide with the posthumous birthday of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was born on March 6, 1909. Awolowo, widely known as “the sage,” died on May 9, 1987.

According to the Foundation, Anyaoku’s role as chair reflects his record in public service and diplomacy, which it said aligns with the values the memorial lecture seeks to preserve. The organisers added that Adebanwi’s keynote will examine Awolowo’s ideas in relation to present debates on statecraft, democratic responsibility and national development.

The Foundation said this year’s conversation is coming at a period when African countries are facing strong calls for leadership that is principled, disciplined and focused on social progress. It said the lecture will interrogate the continued relevance of Awolowo’s political philosophy and test how those ideas can speak to current governance and policy challenges.

The Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Lecture is the Foundation’s flagship annual programme. The organisers said it has consistently drawn scholars, public officials, professionals and other participants from within and outside Nigeria who are interested in democratic governance, social justice and human development.