IGBOZURUOKE MEDIA

The Chairman of the Planning Committee for the 2025 Ahiajoku Lecture Festival, Chief Gary Igariwey, has said they are set to host the 2025 edition of the Ahiajoku Lecture renowned for its intellectual and cultural harvest.

Chief Igariwey, erstwhile president general of the Igbo apex socio-cultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, disclosed that preparations are in their final stages to host the lecture on September 26, at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre (formerly IICC).

He  described the Ahiajoku Lecture as the flagship of Igbo intellectualism and cultural assertion. According to him, this year’s festival will go down in history as one of the most profound gatherings of minds to address the contemporary challenges facing Ndigbo.

The 2025 Ahiajoku Lecture will be delivered by His Lordship Most Rev(Prof )  Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, the Bishop of Nsukka Catholic Diocese.

His lecture, Igariwey revealed, will focus on “the future of the Igbo economy amidst the challenges of insecurity, with a focus on creating a paradigm shift.”

Igariwey maintained that Bishop Onah, as a renowned intellectual and cleric, brings both moral authority and academic depth to the discourse.

“This year’s theme is not just relevant; it is urgent,” He said. “The interplay between insecurity and economic decline in our homeland has reached a point where decisive ideas and frameworks are needed. Bishop Onah’s lecture will provide the intellectual compass for navigating these challenges.”

The event will be attended by  eminent personalities, with Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha as the Royal Father of Day, Professor Anya O. Anya, chairman of the occasion is while the guest of honour is former Foreign Affairs Minister, Major General Ike Nwachukwu (retd).

Igariwey remarked that their presence underlines the weight of the issues to be discussed.

In addition, governors of the South East states, Igbo diaspora organisations, political leaders, and town union representatives are expected to be in attendance.

Igariwey emphasised that the inclusiveness of this year’s lecture is deliberate, as the future of Igboland cannot be shaped by a few but must involve the collective contributions of both elite and grassroots voices. (The Sun)