Having tracked the impact of the activities of terrorist groups like The Islamic State Militant Group (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria; Taliban extremists in Pakistan and Afghanistan; Al-Shabab in Somalia and Kenya, Boko-Haram in Nigeria and Cameroon et cetera, The National Association of Seadogs foresees a global spread of the cataclysmic geo-political and socioeconomic consequences if concerted efforts are not sustained to contain the current surge in extremism.

Consequently, the theme chosen for the lecture is “Escalating Fundamentalism, Terrorism and Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa: Economic Development and Imperatives of Building Strong Democratic Institutions”. This theme acknowledges the direct adverse impact trans-national terrorism and official corruption have had on socio-economic development, cultural and societal evolution in Sub-Saharan Africa, as President Barack Obama vividly captured during his 30^th June, 2013 visit to Cape Town, South Africa:

“The United States is deeply committed to helping African countries strengthen their political institutions, address the challenges of governance, promote an active and empowered civil society, and uphold human rights.  We view these efforts as vital to achieving Africa’s economic and security goals, because strong, accountable, and transparent institutions and a commitment to the rule of law help attract investment and generate prosperity, create trust in government, and help mitigate conflict and protect civilians from violence.”

Scheduled to hold on 12^th June 2015 at Greenbelt Marriott Hotel, Washington DC, United States, the 18^th edition of the annual Wole Soyinka Lecture is especially dedicated to all the victims; individuals, families and nations that have been impacted by the brutal and unprecedented surge in armed insurgency and transnational terrorism. It sets out to identify, highlight and discuss the issues, circumstances, factors and influences that have contributed to the current state of insecurity threatening the corporate existence and sovereignty of many nations, especially across sub-Saharan Africa.

The Wole Soyinka Lecture Series is an annual event usually held in the month of July (the birth month of Professor Wole Soyinka – Nobel Laureate) and is aimed at promoting good governance, social justice and the advancement of democratic ideals locally in Nigeria and globally.

A conception of the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity), the lecture series is dedicated to honouring one of Nigeria and Africa’s most outstanding and enduring literary icons in the person of Professor Wole Soyinka who turned 80 this year.

More information on the event as well as the keynote will be published in due course. To stay updated, please sign up for our newsletter.