The reason Universities are regarded as an ivory tower is because its seen as centres for pure, isolated intellectual thought. It's therefore worrisome when they are increasingly pressured to operate outside this norm.
Today, I was scheduled to be at Obafemi Awolowo University at 9am prompt to deliver a keynote lecture, before proceeding to Ibadan for the opposition parties' political summit scheduled to commence at 12noon. The invitation was extended to me several months ago, and adequate preparations had been made. Regrettably, I received the news that the event would no longer be held in the University as planned.
While such occurrences may be dismissed in isolation, it is important to state clearly that 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. My alma mater, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka was not excluded. The family of one of the renowned UNN Vice Chancellor late Professor Frank Ndili had planned an annual lecture on his behalf and the inaugural lecture was to be delivered, but on the scheduled date it was cancelled by the University authority.
These are not merely personal inconveniences; they raise deeper questions about the kind of environment we are nurturing in our country. Universities are meant to be centres of learning, open dialogue, and the free exchange of ideas. When platforms for constructive engagement are repeatedly constrained, it reflects a worrying shift away from these ideals.
This concern becomes even more pronounced when viewed against my engagements across the world, where I have been privileged to speak and interact freely with students and scholars in respected institutions. In the past 24 months, I have delivered lectures in notable universities globally including Oxford University, Cambridge University, Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Chicago University, University of Pennsylvania, Imperial College, to name a few. Those environments continue to demonstrate openness to dialogue, critical thinking, and shared learning, values that should equally define our own institutions.
We must ask ourselves: 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.
Nigeria must work towards becoming a place where ideas thrive, where knowledge is shared without fear, and where our institutions uphold the principles they were established to protect.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
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