The Obafemi Awolowo Foundation has announced the 2026 edition of its annual Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Lecture, scheduled to hold on Friday, March 6, 2026, at 10 a.m. at the historic Efunyela Hall, Ikenne.
The theme of this year’s lecture is “Politics as Future-Making: Awolowo and Leadership as Theory of Action.”
According to the Executive Director of the Foundation, Ambassador Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, this year’s theme is particularly significant in light of the pressing need for visionary and ethical leadership across Africa.
The lecture seeks to interrogate and illuminate the enduring relevance of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s political philosophy, particularly his conception of leadership as purposeful, disciplined, and anchored in social transformation.
The event will be chaired by elder statesman and diplomat, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCON, GCVO, CFR, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, whose lifelong commitment to principled public service mirrors the values the Foundation upholds.
The Guest Lecturer is distinguished scholar and public intellectual, Wale Adebanwi, Presidential Penn Compact Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Professor Adebanwi is widely respected for his penetrating scholarship on African politics, governance, and leadership, and is expected to deliver a thought-provoking address that situates Awolowo’s ideas within contemporary debates about statecraft, democratic responsibility, and national development.
The Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Lecture is an annual flagship programme of the Foundation, established to sustain rigorous engagement with the ideas, values, and public policy legacy of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Over the years, the lecture series has attracted eminent scholars, statesmen, professionals, and members of the public, across the world who are committed to the advancement of democratic governance, social justice, and human development in Nigeria and beyond.
Signed:
Ambassador Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu
Executive Director
Obafemi Awolowo Foundation
February 2026
