The Anioma Cultural Festival is OFAAC's most visible flagship, but behind the dances and competitions lies an equally important intellectual tradition: the Anioma Annual Lecture Series. Conceived as a strategic platform to deepen the aspirations of the Anioma people, the series was birthed in 2005 and has since become a prestigious forum for some of Nigeria's finest minds.
The First Lecture: 2005, MUSON Centre, Lagos
The inaugural lecture was held at the celebrated MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos. The theme was "ANIOMA CULTURE: The Past, the Present and the Future." The speaker was Chief Newton Jibunoh—renowned environmentalist, former Chairman of Costain West Africa, and celebrated Desert Warrior. The lecture was chaired by the late Ambassador Segun Olusola, former Nigerian Ambassador to Ethiopia.
The Second Lecture: 2006, Architecture Meets Culture
The following year, also at MUSON Centre, the lecture tackled a bold interdisciplinary theme: "Integration of Indigenous Architecture in Contemporary Housing Development in Nigeria." The speaker was Sir S.P.O. Fortune Ebie, former MD of the Federal Housing Authority, chaired by Chief Ernest A.O. Shonekan GCFR, CBE—former Head of Nigeria's Interim National Government.
The Purpose Behind the Platform
The lectures were designed not as academic exercises, but as strategic resources focused on community and national development—generating ideas for good governance and fostering the intellectual stewardship of Anioma culture and values.
This combination—the festival celebrating the heart of Anioma, and the lecture series engaging the mind—reflects OFAAC's holistic vision. Culture, in OFAAC's hands, is never merely entertainment. It is policy. It is identity. It is the future.
Written by OFAAC Editorial · September 5, 2024
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