The Wole Soyinka Lecture Series is a conception of the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity). It is dedicated to honouring one of Nigeria and Africa’s most outstanding and enduring literary icons: Professor Wole Soyinka (Nobel Laureate) and a founding father of the organisation.

The Lecture Series, which is an annual event, usually holds in the month of July (the birth month of Professor Soyinka, but would be celebrated this year in the first week of August 2024. It is aimed at promoting good governance, social justice and the advancement of democratic ideals in Nigeria and beyond.

The Annual Lecture Series is a product of the intellectual bent of the National Association of Seadogs, indicative of the charismatic leadership that Soyinka has provided for years as a role model and internationally revered Nobel Laureate.

The lecture series which seeks to proffer solutions and answers to critical problems facing humanity using a global figure like Soyinka as a rallying point, was founded in 1994, and has had high profile speakers like Balarabe Musa, Dr Arthur Nwankwo, Chief Rotimi Williams, Professor Wole Soyinka, Nuhu Ribadu, Amb.Robbins Sanders, Bishop Hassan Kuka, Amb. Stanilas Kumazi, Adams Oshiomhole, Austin Avuru and Professor Patrice Lumumba amongst other eminent Nigerian and foreign scholars.

This year’s 26th Prof. Wole Soyinka Lecture Series with the theme:

“The baby or the bathwater: navigating the dark tunnels of systemic corruption to nationhood” would be delivered by Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, CON, SAN, former governor of Lagos State and Minister of Power, Works and Housing and chaired by Chief EMEKA Anyaoku, GCON, GCVO, CFR, CON, the third  Secretary-General of Commonwealth

The event takes place at:

• Venue: The June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
• Date: Friday 2nd August, 2024
• Time: 11.00am

In addition to the lecture, and also as part of this year’s activities marking the 90th birthday of Professor Wole Soyinka, we are presenting to the general public for a second time, a satiric dramatic sketch from the Nobel Laureate written for the organisation, titled the WHEEL OF JUSTICE, directed by Dr Tunde Awosanmi of the University of Ibadan.

The dramatic sketch is billed for presentation at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State in the evening of Friday 2nd of August 2024 same day as the Lecture.