By Yomi Adeboye
In furtherance of its tradition of promoting town and gown interface, intellectual discourse and academic excellence, the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) will, at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, play host to an array of eminent stakeholders from within and outside the academia, including members of the academic community, policymakers, students, and the general public.
They will be converging on the campus for the institution’s 291st edition of its prestigious inaugural lecture series which will be delivered by Professor Emmanuel Olugbade Ojo of the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences.
The venue for Prof. Ojo’s lecture, which is titled “The Worship of an Unknown Deity”, is the University Auditorium on its Main Campus where the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole (SAN) is expected to preside.
A seasoned scholar of Comparative Politics and Governance, Professor Ojo had served as Political Adviser to the now late Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State during his first term of office. He later became the Chief of Staff to the Governor during the late politician’s second term of office.
Expectedly, Prof Ojo’s lecture will be a window of opportunity to explore thought-provoking perspectives on concepts including political power, leadership, and the paradoxes of governance, in cognizance of contemporary socio-political realities in modern Nigeria.
Apart from its reputation as one of the longest-running in the nation’s ivory towers, University of Ilorin’s inaugural lecture series also provides a platform for illustrious scholars to share insights from decades of research and scholarship.
The 291st Inaugural Lecturer, Prof Ojo was educated at the University of Ibadan where he earned B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science.
Besides being highly reputed for his research works on democratic governance, civil-military relations, and institutional reforms in Nigeria and across the African continent, Prof. Ojo is a prolific writer and public affairs commentator who maintains columns in national newspapers.
