IT gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 27th Convocation of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. This is the second and final Convocation that I will address as President of this highly esteemed national Academy.
Our Convocation is the peak of our annual regular and extraordinary activities. In keeping with our mandate of promoting healthy socio-political and moral values in society, the Academy organises regular intellectual discourse, notably, public lectures, seminars, conferences, monthly dialogues, robust discussions at the Fellows’ Night, and finally the Convocation Lecture. During these programmes, assorted themes are discussed. The theme of our Biennial Lecture and Convocation this year is, “The Humanities in the Modern Digital Era.” Our Convocation Lecturer today is Professor Francis Eghokhare, FNAL, a Past President of the Academy. Professor Egbokhare is speaking on “Humanity and the Humanities in the Age of Emerging Technologies.”
Without doubt, a new frontier for the humanities in Africa is the digital age. The digital revolution is rapidly transforming education, culture, and governance. The question is: how can the humanities engage with and guide this digital revolution? A central and critical role of the humanities is to help us know ourselves and promote our well-being. The wellbeing of every society depends on the effective management of its social and political institutions, anchored on a corresponding value system. Together, the values, institutions, and managers are responsible for the survival and sustainable development of the society.
The humanities help us imagine the future in this digital age. Digital tools can “expand cultural expressions and innovation” in arts and media. The humanities community must work with technologists and regulators. Humanists can help craft policies on digital ethics, teach digital literacy in cultural contexts, and ensure technology serves African values. Our bird has sought to fly with one wing for so long, even as we have sought to clap with one hand as a nation. It is time we synergise for national development.
DURING the past year, we have engaged in scholarly activities with policy implications and lessons for national development. We have asked questions and sought to provide direction in critical areas affecting our progress and development as a nation while also addressing the future of our discipline. We deliberated extensively on virtually all the challenges that confront the Nigerian society – challenges of underdevelopment, economic instability, social and political problems, infrastructure deficit (poor electricity supply, road networks, inadequate water supply, poor healthcare system, etc.), food insecurity, environmental challenges, poor education, insecurity (ethnic and religious crises), corruption and other challenges. There was, however, one major challenge that cut across all the others, namely the rapidly declining value system of the Nigerian society.
At our last Dialogue Session for the year, it was unanimously agreed that the pace of moral decline in the country, especially among the youth, had reached an unprecedented level. The symptoms of Nigeria’s crumbling value system are evident in the nation’s leadership challenges, poor attitude to work, declining civic responsibilities, and, above all, lack of patriotism, loyalty and commitment to national goals and aspirations. Indeed, the pervading frustration is so much, especially, among the youth, that many Nigerians are being forced to flee their fatherland in search of greener pastures abroad.
The consensus was that the decline in values, if unchecked, would continue to accelerate, leading to a society that is totally bereft of moral virtues and lacking in positive attitudinal, if not lawless, dispositions.
Concerned about this untoward development in the country, we are calling on the Federal Executive Council to do whatever is within its powers, including instituting a programme of Value Re-orientation, to avert the pending descent of our nation into a valueless society. As an Academy, we pledge our support to the Government for any initiative in this regard.
I have avoided pontificating on the subject matter of our Convocation Lecture; I will leave it for our Lecturer to address us on that. I am sure he will do a fantastic job as usual.
New Fellows of the Academy
THE highlight of today’s programme is the Investiture of Regular, Overseas and Honorary Fellows. As in previous years, the selection of new Fellows this year was a highly competitive process despite our opening up of the space to accommodate additional Fellows. Thus, I congratulate all our Regular and Overseas Fellows for scaling the hurdle. I also want to celebrate our honorary Fellows. The most visible of our Honorary Fellows, of course, is His Majesty, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochuckwu Achebe, Agbogidi, a man who has brought class and distinction to the institution of traditional rulership in this country. I first met this highly revered monarch in 2007 during the course of a visit to UNESCO in Paris as Adviser to a group of eminent traditional rulers that included His Majesty, the Obi, along with the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II, and the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero. The three traditional rulers were being mobilised by UNESCO to use their positions to promote Science and Technology among Nigerian youths. The solid impression I got of the Obi during that trip remains with me today and it is a pleasure for me to personally celebrate him as he becomes an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters.
I congratulate the other two Honorary Fellows being decorated today, Mr. Jahman Oladejo Anikulapo who has dedicated the best part of the last 30 years or more to the promotion of arts and culture in the country and has won several awards in the process; and Dr. Lasisi Olagunju, a seasoned journalist who has used his pen to speak as a conscience of the nation on the pages of newspapers also for over 30 years. Our cohort of Honorary Fellows this year speaks to the values that our Academy holds dear, and I am sure that they will continue to promote these values in the years ahead bearing the identity of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. I am looking forward to the Response of His Royal Majesty in a short while.
TODAY, we are inducting 31 members into the Academy. I congratulate all those being accepted into membership of the Academy today and urge them to deploy their expertise and experience in the service of the Academy in the years ahead.
On a different note, I am pleased to confirm that our members continue to serve the nation in different capacities, including headship of critical agencies such as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB; board membership and chairmanships, and leadership of institutions mostly as Vice-Chancellors. To their credit and our pride, they have continued to serve creditably. We salute all of them for making us proud.
I like to express our collective gratitude as an Academy to the various individuals, institutions and organisations who have supported our work during the past twelve months. I must single out the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, and its Registrar/CEO, Professor Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, ZMirage Nigeria Limited and its chief executive, Alhaji Teju Wasee Kareem, Federal University, Kashere and its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Umaru Alhaji Pate, as well as Federal University, Lokoja and its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi; the University of Ibadan, and, of course, our host, the University of Lagos.
During the year, we lost two eminent Fellows to the cold hands of death: Professor Charles Nnolim, FNAL, who died on 27 June 2025 at the age of 86, and Professor Ben Elugbe, FNAL, a Past President of the Academy, who died on 17 July at the age of 79.
I humbly request that we all rise up to observe a minute’s silence in honour of our dear departed ones…
May their gentle souls rest in peace.
In closing, I like to thank members of the Executive Committee and the membership of the Academy for your support during the past two years. If we have managed to raise the profile of the Academy during the past two years, it is the result of your support and collaboration, and the availability of many of you to serve in different capacities. I am highly humbled by your support. As I exit this exalted position during the AGM tomorrow, please be assured that I have not taken the privilege for granted.
Your Royal Majesty, Eminent personalities here present, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for your attention.