Baze VC to Chair Lokoja University’s Olu Obafemi Colloquium

Hope Ajayi October 18, 2026 2 minutes read

ABUJA, Nigeria – Baze University Vice-Chancellor Professor Abiodun Adeniyi will chair the fourth annual Olu Obafemi colloquium at the Federal University Lokoja in Kogi State.

The event will honour Emeritus Professor Olu Obafemi, a renowned Nigerian literary scholar, playwright and poet.

According to a statement issued on Sunday, the colloquium will hold on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the university’s Multi-Purpose Hall, Felele Campus, Lokoja. It forms part of activities marking the institution’s 2026 convocation.

Organised with the Department of English and Literary Studies, the event will focus on the theme, “Creativity as Criticism in Olu Obafemi’s Works.” The programme begins at noon and will adopt a hybrid format. This will allow participants to attend either physically or virtually.

Discussions will explore how creative writing and artistic expression can challenge established ideas, critique society and inspire change.

Obafemi, a recipient of the Nigerian National Order of Merit, has contributed significantly to Nigerian literature, theatre, creative writing and literary criticism.

The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, described the colloquium as an important platform for celebrating Obafemi’s scholarship and examining his intellectual legacy.

Ibileye said the initiative began in 2023 under his predecessor, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi. The annual event aims to sustain academic engagement with Obafemi’s work beyond ceremonial tributes. The second and third editions took place in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Expected speakers include Professor S. T. Babatunde and Dr Funke Aliyu of the University of Ilorin. Others are Professor Sola Adeyemi of the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom and Professor Ofure Aito of the Federal University Lokoja.

Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo is also expected to attend as Special Guest of Honour.