Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed concern over what he described as a growing pattern of universities in Nigeria allegedly restricting intellectual engagement and open dialogue, following the cancellation of a scheduled lecture he was to deliver at Obafemi Awolowo University.
Obi, in a statement posted on his X account on Saturday, said he was billed to be at the university by 9 a.m. to deliver a keynote lecture before proceeding to Ibadan for an opposition parties’ political summit scheduled for noon.
According to him, the invitation to speak at the university had been extended several months earlier, with all necessary preparations already concluded before he was informed that the event would no longer hold at the institution as planned.
“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,” Obi said.
Describing the development as troubling, the former Anambra State governor warned that the repeated cancellation of such engagements points to a disturbing trend that should concern Nigerians.
“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,” he stated.
Obi noted that even his alma mater, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was not exempt from such incidents.
He recalled that the family of late Professor Frank Ndili had planned an annual memorial lecture in honour of the former Vice Chancellor, but the inaugural lecture was cancelled by the university authorities on the scheduled date.
“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,” he added.
Obi stressed that the issue goes beyond personal inconvenience, insisting that universities should remain centres of learning, free exchange of ideas, and constructive engagement rather than spaces where intellectual discourse is constrained.
“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,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with his recent academic engagements abroad, Obi said he had delivered lectures over the past 24 months at globally respected institutions including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and Imperial College London.
He said those institutions continue to promote openness, critical thinking, and shared learning—values he believes Nigerian universities must also uphold.
“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,” Obi stated.
He urged Nigeria to become a country where ideas flourish freely and institutions remain true to the principles for which they were established.
“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,” he said.
