Prof. Banji Akintoye to deliver Obafemi Awolowo Memorial lecture as Gowon Chair

The Executive Director of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, on Thursday disclosed that Prof. Banji Akintoye would deliver the Memorial lecture for this year’s Obafemi Awolowo Memorial lecture.

Prof. Akintoye is an eminent scholar, author and leading African historian and Senior Professor and Director of the Institute of African Studies at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Awolowo-Dosunmu spoke at the Press conference and Presentation of trophies for the 4th U-10/ U-16 Boys and Girls football competition at Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State to honour the late Sage and his wife, Hannah Idowu Dideolu (HID) Awolowo. The competition is being organised inconjunction with the National Youth Soccer Association (NYSA).

She said that lecture replaced the 2017 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for leadership Award after no nominee out of the nominees meet up the criteria for the Prize and the tittle of the lecture is “The Awolowo Legacy and It’s Message for Nigerian Youths”.

Awolowo-Dosunmu explained that the lecture was also to refresh Nigerians’ memories about Awolowo’s legacy in the sphere of leadership and ” particularly to fire the imagination of Nigerian youths about the immense possibilities for their individual and collective progress and development if they would understand and strive to restore the leadership model of the likes of Chief Awolowo”.

She said that the former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon would chair the occasion.

“From his (Prof. Akintoye) early years as a prominent student activist in University, he was eventually elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1979-1983). Today, he is one of the very few surviving men and women who worked closely with Chief Awolowo”.

On the reason why the Award was replaced, she said ” The prize is not being awarded this year, not because the nominees were not eminently accomplished individuals in their various fields of endeavor but because the award is based on demonstratable evidence of substantial achievement, across the board of the criteria laid out by the Selection Committee”.

The NYSA Secretary, Mr. Aliu Ganiyu said 16 teams from boys and girls categories are going to compete in the competition.

He said the association took into consideration the role played by Awolowo and his wife in the development of youths in Nigeria before organising the competition, saying the competition was also to further immortalised them.