2025 Ahiajoku lecture moved to November
By Jeffrey Agbo
Imo State Government has approved the rescheduling of the 2025 edition of the Ahiajoku Lecture Festival, restoring the event to its traditional November dates.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the planning committee announced that the 45th edition of the cultural and intellectual festival will now hold from November 27 to 28, 2025.
According to the committee, Governor Hope Uzodimma approved the new dates as part of a renaissance and rebranding effort for the iconic event. The decision, it added, aligns with the founding vision of the late Governor Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe and other pioneers of the Ahiajoku Lecture Series.
The festival will open with a colloquium on Thursday, November 27 (Afor day in the Igbo calendar) at the Ahiajoku Convention Centre in Owerri, followed by the main lecture on Friday, November 28 (Nkwo day) at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Conference Centre, also in Owerri.
“This will be followed by the main lecture on Friday, November 28, 2025 (Nkwo day) at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Conference Centre, also in Owerri.
“Both events are scheduled to begin promptly at 11:00 AM.
“The highlight of this year’s festival will be the Ahiajoku lecture delivered by His Lordship, Most Rev. Prof. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese.
“Bishop Onah will speak on the timely and thought-provoking topic: ‘The Future of Igbo Economy Amidst the Challenges of Insecurity: A Call for Paradigm Shift,’ addressing critical contemporary issues facing the Igbo community,” the statement reads in part.
The organisers stressed that the adjustment marks a return to the festival’s historical roots, noting that the Ahiajoku Lecture was originally inaugurated and celebrated in the last week of November.
“This restoration is expected to strengthen the event’s legacy as the foremost platform for Igbo intellectual, cultural, and economic renaissance, connecting the celebration more closely with its original cultural significance,” the committee said.
The planning committee is chaired by Chief Gary Nnachi Enwo Igariwey, with Sir Stanley Amuchie as deputy chairman. It assured invitees that venue arrangements and earlier preparations remain intact.
Director General of the Ahiajoku Centre and Secretary of the 2025 Planning Committee, Hon. (Nze) Ray Emeana, expressed pride in hosting “Ndi Igbo and friends of Igbo heritage from across the world” at this year’s festival.
He noted that the event remains a vital platform for cultural preservation and intellectual exchange among the global Igbo community.
