— As Lecture Holds At Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre,September 26
The Chairman of the Planning Committee for the 2025 Ahiajoku Lecture Festival, Chief Gary Igariwey, has assured that the 2025 edition of the Ahiajoku Lecture will be a defining moment in Igbo intellectual and cultural history. In a release made available to newsmen, Igariwey disclosed that preparations are in their final stages to host the lecture on September 26, 2025, at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre (formerly IICC).
Igariwey, who is a former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, 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 Most Reverend Professor 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.” He 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,” Igariwey stressed. “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 attract some of Nigeria’s most eminent personalities. The Royal Father of the Day will be His Royal Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha. The Chairman of the Occasion is distinguished scholar, Professor Anya O. Anya, while the Guest of Honour is Nigeria’s former Foreign Affairs Minister, Major General Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd). Igariwey remarked that their presence underlines the weight of the issues to be discussed.
In addition, governors of the Southeast states, Igbo diaspora organizations, political leaders, and town union representatives are expected to be in attendance. Igariwey emphasized 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.
He further explained that the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre was carefully chosen to host the lecture because of its symbolic importance and capacity to host an event of such magnitude. “We want a setting that reflects the seriousness and dignity of the Ahiajoku Lecture. The venue itself will speak to the gravity of the moment,” he said.
Chief Igariwey concluded by calling on Ndigbo at home and in the diaspora to rally behind the festival. “This is more than an annual gathering; it is a call to rethink and reset the Igbo future. We are optimistic that the 2025 lecture will provide the blueprint for a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Igboland.”
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