Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed concern over what he describes as a growing pattern of cancelled academic engagements in Nigerian universities, following the abrupt cancellation of a scheduled lecture at Obafemi Awolowo University.
In a statement shared on April 25, 2026, Obi said he had been invited to deliver a keynote address at the university before proceeding to a political summit in Ibadan, but was informed at short notice that the event would no longer hold.
He explained that preparations for the lecture had been completed months in advance, making the cancellation unexpected.
Obi said the incident was not isolated, alleging that similar disruptions have occurred in other institutions, including the University of Nigeria Nsukka, where a planned lecture in honour of former Vice Chancellor Frank Ndili was also reportedly cancelled.
He warned that the recurring cancellations could signal a worrying trend for intellectual engagement within Nigeria’s higher education system.
According to him, universities should remain spaces for open dialogue, free exchange of ideas, and critical thinking, adding that repeated disruptions risk undermining those core academic values.
Obi also referenced his speaking engagements at international institutions such as the University of Oxford, Harvard University, and the University of Cambridge, noting that such environments encourage open discourse without similar interruptions.
He stressed that Nigeria’s development depends on protecting academic spaces and ensuring that universities continue to function as platforms for knowledge exchange and intellectual growth.
The development has sparked broader discussions around academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and the management of public events involving high-profile political figures in Nigerian universities.
