The Vice-Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, will chair the fourth annual colloquium of the Federal University Lokoja in honour of Emeritus Professor Olu Obafemi, a distinguished Nigerian literary scholar, playwright and poet.
The colloquium, scheduled for Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the university’s Multi-Purpose Hall, Felele Campus, Lokoja, will be part of activities marking the institution’s 2026 convocation.
Organised in collaboration with the university’s Department of English and Literary Studies, the event will begin at 12 noon and feature the theme, “Creativity as Criticism in Olu Obafemi’s Works.”
The theme will examine how artistic imagination and critical inquiry intersect, particularly the capacity of literature to interrogate society, challenge established ideas and inspire change.
The programme will be held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to join both physically and virtually.
Obafemi, a recipient of the Nigerian National Order of Merit, has made significant contributions to Nigerian literature, theatre, creative writing and literary criticism.
The annual colloquium was established to sustain intellectual engagement with his legacy and explore the broader relevance of his work to scholarship, artistic expression and society.
Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, Prof. Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, described the colloquium as a continuing platform for celebrating an outstanding scholar, writer, teacher and mentor.
Ibileye said the occasion was particularly significant to him because of Obafemi’s enduring influence as a mentor and an example of intellectual and ethical commitment.
He traced the initiative to its inaugural edition in 2023, launched under his predecessor, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, who believed that a scholar of Obafemi’s stature deserved more than ceremonial recognition.
The initiative was designed to create a sustained intellectual platform for examining the scholar’s ideas, creative achievements and continuing relevance.
The second and third editions, held in 2024 and 2025, further established the colloquium as an annual academic and literary gathering.
Ibileye stressed that while his relationship with Obafemi gives the event personal significance, its value extends beyond that connection to broader discussions on artistic responsibility, education, power, justice, cultural identity and shared humanity.
Explaining the theme for this year’s edition, the vice-chancellor said it would encourage scholars to examine creativity not simply as the production of artistic works but as a means of critically engaging with society.
He noted that literature, through imaginative expression, could interpret social experiences, expose contradictions, challenge prevailing assumptions and open pathways to change.
The colloquium will feature scholars from Nigerian and international universities, including Prof. S. T. Babatunde of the University of Ilorin; Prof. Sola Adeyemi of the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom; Prof. Ofure Aito of the Federal University Lokoja; and Dr. Funke Aliyu of the University of Ilorin.
The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, will attend as Special Guest of Honour.
Other expected guests include the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole; the Vice-Chancellor of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Prof. Abdulrahman Asipita Salawu; the Vice-Chancellor of Kogi State University, Kabba, Prof. K. I. T. Eniola; and the Vice-Chancellor of Adeleke University, Prof. Solomon Ajayi Adebo.
Also expected are the President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, Prof. Andrew Haruna, and its Vice-President, Prof. Sunday Enessi Ododo; the President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Dr. Usman Oladipo Akanbi; the Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers Association, Dr. Wale Okediran; the Chairman of the Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria, REPRONIG, Dr. Adedapo Gbadega; and the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Dr. Sonny Echono.
The event is expected to attract university principal officers, academics, literary scholars, writers, students and other guests for discussions and reflections on Obafemi’s decades-long contributions to creative writing, literary scholarship and Nigerian theatre and letters.
