Nigeria’s Centenary Conference (See Full Pictures)

Those who missed out on the opening ceremonies on the 19^th August may not again have the opportunity to relive an ultra-cultural performance by a dance troupe. 

cultural dance troupe

audience

dance

enthralled

 

paparazzi

 

Dr. Ngozi Okpara and the Catering Unit look on

Rashidat, Ijeoma, Mr Adeoti and others

Their energetic pan-Nigeria dance steps, pomp and glitz moved the audience to gasp at some of their dangerous moves, smile at funny ones, and cheer at every merry performance. Thus was the opening ceremony of the conference that lasted from 19 to 21 August, 2014, at the School of Media and Communication (SMC), Pan Atlantic University (PAU), Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

Fashion Designer

Olusegun Afolami, Fashion Designer

Prof JT Tsaaior, convener

Joy Ananaba, Fashion designer

l-r: Tunde Onikoyi, Chukwudi Chikwendu (cc), Patricia Edemadide and a participant

Isaac Moses of Goge Africa

Dr Ikechukwu Obiaya

ceecee Chikwendu

Sound Sultan

Dr Austin Nweze, former Ebonyi gubernatorial aspirant

Bayero Agabi of AIT Infotech Network and Shina Badaru of Technology Times

Keynote speaker, Remy Oriaku and his son Master Oriaku

Bayero Agabi

Dr Pius Onabhayedo chairing a plenary session

As at this time, nobody may have recalled that in the 1470s, the pioneer Portuguese explorers arrived off the coast of modern day Nigeria, in Calabar, to precipitate the beginning of exploitative trade that exchanged spirits, cloth, hardware, guns, and gunpowder for slaves along the West African coast.

However, as this is a celebration of Nigeria’s centenary, on the 20^th of August, the Vice Chancellor of the PAU, Prof Juan Elegido, represented by the Acting Dean, School of Media and Communication, Dr. Mike Okolo declared the conference open, after a soulful rendition of the National Anthem.

The Acting Dean having gunned the engine on, and established a protocol of eminent and preeminent Nigerians present and absent, the convener, Prof JT Tsaaior engaged the first gear with an opening remark which pointed us down to the year of an enforced amalgamation, a colonial rule, the nationalists’ struggle, the Independence, and the post-colonial state in which we now live. 

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He of course pointed out that this is the third year of the annual conference, with this year’s taking on the significance of the year of Nigeria’s centenary. He was thankful to Zenith Bank who bought into the vision of the conference and agreed to sponsor it. The Zenith Bank’s commitment is not just for this year’s alone, but for a long time to come. 

Angel Alilonu, Pan-Atlantic University Librarian and ceecee Chikwendu walking in on the Day 2

   

Segun Afolami and Patricia Edemadide

Chukwudi Chikwendu, Temitope Falade, Internet solution specialist and Seun of SMC studio on the Day 2

Rita of Smooth FM and Emem Akpabio, a researcher

GOGE Africa crooners flank Angel Alilonu of PAU

And then Prof Tsaaior listed the women whose organizational skills took care of the big, small and tiny details of the conference. They are: Angel Alilonu, Vivian Adeoti, Tope Falade and Patricia Edemadide.

After the pleasantries of the opening remarks, when Dr. Remy Oriaku began his keynote address, what he did not bring in gesticulation and spectacle, he overshadowed with an amazing folkloric narrative style in his review of autobiographies of some foremost nationalists – Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Anthony Enahoro and Mbonu Ojike – My Odyssey, Awo, My Life, Fugitive Offender: the Story of a Political Prisoner, and My Africa respectively.

God'spower Utawure of PAU flanked by participants

Prof Tsaaior and Mrs Oridota of PAU

Dr. Oriaku’s summation has it that the autobiographies of these foremost individuals are primarily like any autobiography that is an ego trip and self-glorification massage effort, designed to place the protagonist on a grand stand over high-profile contemporaries, not to talk of other mortals. But what was outstanding about these early nationalists was their mutual suspicion, if not hatred of each other, and their ethnic jingoism was barely masked by the common struggle for independence. 

cc and Onikoyi

Cross section of participants

Cross section of participants

Nneka Moses of Goge Africa giving talks

Dr Silk Ogbu and Dr Isah Momoh on the front row

Cross section of participants

Dr Silk Ogbu

Cross section of participants

 

Master Oriaku

For a 3 day conference, its magnitude was divided into 8 plenary sessions. The innovative nature meant that not all the plenaries are out-and-out scholarly sessions for academics and researchers alone. To kick off the first session, Prof Tsaaior spoke about the journey to nationhood as one watered by “blood, sweat and semen” of its people.

Example of “blood” nationalism was that of Zimbabwe, while Nigeria was that of “sweat”, though it was to later shed blood of millions of her people in an avoidable civil war. “Semen” nationalism would of course go to all nations who procreated.

Other who presented papers included Tunde Onikoyi, Olajide Olagumju, Richard Ikiebe, Dr. Ngozi Okpara, Emem Akpabio, Dr. Austin Nweze, Dr. Isah Momoh, Nwachukwu Egbunike, Victor Eze, Dr. Silk Ogbu, and Tony Onwumah of CBAAC.

There were sessions by professionals in sports, information and communication technology, politics, fashion, and media. In sports are leading voices such as Nkechi Obi, Toyin Ibitoye, Dele Odugbemi, and Nnamdi Obanya. In the fashion and creative art are Olusegun Afolami, Joy Ananaba, Adebimpe Adebambo. There were also Isaac and Nneka Moses of Goge Africa, Pelu Awofeso of Waka About/Homestead Production, and Segun Oke of Unity Bank. 

Dr Ngozi Okpara and Nneka Moses of Goge Africa

There was also a session on new media penetration chaired by Dr. Pius Onabhayedo were Shina Badaru of Technology Times and Bayero Agabi of AIT Infotech Network participated. For the media and political governance Derinola Kappo and Ogbuagu Robert Anikwe join in the discussion.

Dr Martha and Nneka

Mary-Jane and Goge Africa

What is obvious from the immediate words of the convener was that the conference is not just a talk-talk show. Prof Tsaaior spoke about the next stage where presented papers are collated and published. 

ceecee Chikwendu and Sound Sultan

Cross section of participants

Cross section of participants

Dr Isah Momoh gives lecture

A major spinoff of the discussion on sports is even more massive as it set agenda for the next generation programme. The solemn proclamation of the convener is that the SMC would start a programme on Sports Communication to equip professionals with the business, communicative and media skills to take our sports to the level it would see beyond its nose.

The 3 day conference provided an opportunity for greenhorns to be christened, and for the more experienced persons to deepen their research skills, professional competence and knowledge base. For every good thing like the conference, one would gladly say: ‘I want some more’.