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The Vice-Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, Professor Abiodun Adeniyi, will chair the fourth annual colloquium of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL) in honour of Emeritus Professor Olu Obafemi, a renowned Nigerian literary scholar, playwright and poet.
The event, scheduled for Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the university’s Multi-Purpose Hall, Felele Campus, Lokoja, is part of activities marking the institution’s 2026 convocation ceremony.
Organised in collaboration with FUL’s Department of English and Literary Studies, the colloquium will commence at noon and focus on the theme, “Creativity as Criticism in Olu Obafemi’s Works.”
The programme, which will be held in a hybrid format, is expected to bring together scholars, writers, academics and students to examine the relationship between artistic creativity, critical inquiry and literature’s capacity to interrogate society and inspire change.
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 seeks to sustain engagement with his intellectual legacy and explore the continuing relevance of his works to scholarship and society.
The Vice-Chancellor of FUL, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, described the colloquium as a platform for celebrating an outstanding scholar, writer, teacher and mentor whose contributions have influenced generations of academics and literary practitioners.
Ibileye said the initiative was particularly significant to him because of Obafemi’s enduring influence as a mentor and a model of intellectual and ethical commitment.
He traced the origins of the colloquium to its inaugural edition in 2023, established under his predecessor, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, who believed that a scholar of Obafemi’s stature deserved more than ceremonial recognition.
According to Ibileye, the initiative was conceived as a sustained intellectual engagement with Obafemi’s ideas, creative accomplishments and continuing relevance. The second and third editions, held in 2024 and 2025 respectively, further established the event as an annual academic and literary gathering.
He explained that the significance of the colloquium extended beyond personal relationships, noting that it provided an opportunity for wider intellectual conversations on artistic responsibility, education, power, justice, cultural identity and shared humanity.
On this year’s theme, Ibileye said creativity should not be understood solely as the production of artistic works but also as a means of critically engaging with society.
Through imaginative expression, he noted, literature could interpret social experiences, expose contradictions, challenge established assumptions and stimulate possibilities for change.
The colloquium will feature presentations by distinguished scholars from Nigerian and international universities, including Professor S. T. Babatunde of the University of Ilorin; Professor Sola Adeyemi of the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom; Professor 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, is expected to attend as Special Guest of Honour.
Other expected guests include the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole; Vice-Chancellor of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Professor Abdulrahman Asipita Salawu; Vice-Chancellor of Kogi State University, Kabba, Professor K. I. T. Eniola; and Vice-Chancellor of Adeleke University, Professor Solomon Ajayi Adebo.
The gathering is also expected to attract the President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, Professor Andrew Haruna, and its Vice-President, Professor Sunday Enessi Ododo; President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Dr. Usman Oladipo Akanbi; Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers Association, Dr. Wale Okediran; Chairman of the Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria, Dr. Adedapo Gbadega; and Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Dr. Sonny Echono.
The university said the event would provide an opportunity for principal officers, academics, literary scholars, writers and students to reflect on Obafemi’s decades of contributions to creative writing, literary scholarship, Nigerian theatre and the development of African letters.
Further enquiries about the programme may be directed to the Head of the Department of English and Literary Studies, Dr. Peter Okpeh; the Local Organising Committee Chairman, Dr. Abba Abba; or the committee’s Secretary, Dr. Grace Olarewaju.
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