In celebration of Toyin Falola’s 73rd birthday, Lead City University is convening a special conference this Monday and Tuesday at the Cresta Hill Golden Lodge in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Mr Falola is a Nigerian historian and professor of African studies.
The two-day Toyin Falola @73 Conference, themed ‘Religion, Culture and Politics in Nigeria,’ aims to “crystallise diverse academic perspectives, intersections, and dimensions of the relations between religion, culture, and politics for the academia and the general public.”
The conference honours the prolific career of Mr Falola, dubbed as the most cited African historian globally.
Mr Falola also holds the distinguished position of Jacob and Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin and serves as the first-ever Emeritus Professor of Humanities at Lead City University.
Speaking on Mr Falola in the programme of event shared in advance with PREMIUM TIMES Toyin Adepoju said that he is “working at an epic level, and creating opportunities for many” as he “uniquely places Africa on the global epistemic map, providing career-shaping opportunities for many and celebrating others ceaselessly.”
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Ms Adepoju also stated that Mr Falola is a mentor to many, carrying others along and investing both intellectually and socially in Nigeria, despite not staying in the country.
The organisers wrote in the programme that the theme of the conference comes at a pivotal time due to Nigeria’s multicultural fabric being defined by a complex mix of religion and political ideology.
With the 2027 elections approaching and international attention focused on religious tolerance, this conference provides a timely platform to navigate the debates currently heating the national polity.
The conference will commence with the arrival of guests on 5 January and a keynote address by the Director of Research and Innovation Management, Osun State University, Olukoya Ogen, to set the tone for a series of plenary sessions that dissect faith, culture, and politics.
Aside from the academic discussions, the itinerary presents a packed lineup of artistic performance including music, spoken word presentation, dance, and drama.
On 6 January, there will be five plenary sessions with several experts, academics, and professionals. These persons have been carefully selected to share their thoughts on the theme of the conference.
The conference is open to the general public, and those interested can join using the Zoom Meeting link
It promises to be an enlightening event and a platform to share ideas, discuss, identify challenges, and explore how Nigerians can benefit from the intersection between religion, culture, and politics.
