Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed concern over what he describes as a growing pattern of last-minute cancellations of his scheduled lectures at universities across Nigeria, warning that the trend threatens academic freedom and open discourse.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Obi revealed that he was billed to deliver a keynote lecture at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife at 9:00 a.m., ahead of an opposition parties’ summit in Ibadan later in the day. However, the event, which had been planned in advance, was abruptly cancelled by the university authorities.
According to him, the incident is part of a broader pattern, noting that similar cancellations have occurred more than ten times across different institutions. He cited a comparable experience at University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), where he was invited to deliver the inaugural lecture in honour of late Professor Frank Ndili, a former vice-chancellor and respected nuclear physicist. That event was also reportedly called off on the scheduled date.
Obi said the repeated disruptions go beyond coincidence and should worry Nigerians. He stressed that universities are traditionally regarded as “ivory towers” — spaces meant for intellectual exchange, critical thinking, and open dialogue — and warned that such cancellations signal a departure from those ideals.
Drawing a contrast, Obi pointed to his recent international engagements, where he has delivered lectures and interacted with students at institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and Imperial College London. He noted that these institutions continue to foster openness, debate, and shared learning.
He urged Nigerians to reflect on the implications of shrinking intellectual spaces, arguing that national progress depends on encouraging knowledge-sharing and the free exchange of ideas rather than restricting them.
Obi called on relevant authorities to safeguard universities as platforms where ideas can thrive without fear, in line with their foundational principles.
As of the time of reporting, neither OAU nor UNN had issued an official response to the cancellations.
