Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate during the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has voiced serious concerns over a pattern of repeated last-minute cancellations of his lectures at Nigerian universities, describing it as a threat to academic freedom and open intellectual discourse.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Obi disclosed that he was scheduled to deliver a keynote lecture at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife at 9:00 a.m. today, ahead of an opposition parties’ political summit in Ibadan at noon. The long-planned event was abruptly cancelled by the university authorities.

Obi noted that this was not an isolated case, claiming similar cancellations have occurred more than ten times across various institutions. His alma mater, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), was also affected: the family of the late Professor Frank Ndili, a renowned nuclear physicist and former Vice-Chancellor, had organised an annual lecture in his honour, with Obi invited to deliver the inaugural edition. That event too was cancelled on the scheduled date.

“While such occurrences may be dismissed in isolation, this has now happened more than ten times. This is no longer incidental; it points to a troubling pattern that should concern all well-meaning Nigerians,” Obi said.

He emphasised that universities are traditionally viewed as “ivory towers” centres for pure intellectual thought, open dialogue, and the free exchange of ideas. The repeated disruptions, he argued, reflect a worrying departure from these foundational ideals.

Obi contrasted the situation at home with his international engagements. In the past 24 months, he has freely delivered lectures and interacted with students and scholars at prestigious institutions including Oxford University, Cambridge University, Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, and Imperial College London.

“Those environments continue to demonstrate openness to dialogue, critical thinking, and shared learning — values that should equally define our own institutions,” he stated.

He urged Nigerians to reflect deeply: “What kind of nation are we building if spaces meant for intellectual engagement are gradually shrinking? A country’s progress is anchored on its ability to encourage knowledge, debate, and the contest of ideas, not restrict them.”

Obi called on authorities to protect Nigerian universities as platforms where ideas can thrive without fear, in line with their core principles.

Concluding his remarks, he expressed optimism: “Nigeria must work towards becoming a place where ideas thrive… A New Nigeria is POssible.”

As of press time, neither OAU nor UNN had issued official statements regarding the cancellations.

(The Guardian, but headline rejigged)

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