Activities to commemorate the 60th birthday of former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, will commence on Monday, February 3, with a series of events spanning days across different locations
The celebrations will feature a keynote address by a former South African President, Thabo Mbeki.
According to a statement on Sunday by the Secretary of the Planning Committee for the celebration, Mr. Egghead Odewale, the events will kick off with a roundtable discussion titled “Beyond Administrative Boundaries: Reimagining Nigeria’s Development Through Regional Integration.”
The discussion is organised by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria and will take place at its office in Cocoa House, Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
The highlight of the celebration will be a commemorative colloquium on Thursday, February 6, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
Themed “Renewing the Pan-African Ideal for the Changing Times: The Policy and Leadership Challenges and Opportunities,” the event will feature a keynote address by Mbeki.
The colloquium will also include a seminar where leading scholars and political thinkers will deliberate on Africa’s place in the changing global context.
Additionally, Fayemi’s new book, “If This Giant Must Rise,” will be presented at the event.
As part of the celebrations, Fayemi will formally unveil the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement, an organisation he founded to foster leadership and governance development.
The Centre for Democracy and Development where he previously served as its founding Director, will also host an event in his honour on Friday, February 7, at its headquarters in Abuja.
On Saturday, February 8, Ekiti youths will hold a Youth Festival at Adetiloye Hall, Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti, in celebration of the former governor’s contributions to youth empowerment.
On the same day, he will inaugurate a block of classrooms he built and donated to Command Secondary School, Isan-Ekiti.
The week-long activities will conclude on Sunday, February 9, with a thanksgiving service at St. Martin’s Catholic Church, Isan-Ekiti, followed by a reception at his residence.
“Dr Fayemi, who is currently a Professor in the School of Global Affairs at King’s College, London, served two terms as Governor of Ekiti State (2010-2014 and 2018-2022) and was Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
“He also served as Minister of Mines and Steel Development between 2015 and 2018; and was the pioneer Director of CDD, a think tank dedicated to policy-oriented scholarship on democracy, development and human security in Africa.
“An advocate of regional integration, Dr Fayemi played a significant role in the formation of the DAWN Commission in 2013. He was born in Ibadan on February 9, 1965,” the statement added.
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