President Bola Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan, the Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, Chief Bode George, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, are among eminent Nigerians expected at a colloquium in honour of Nigeria’s foremost nationalist, Pa Herbert Macaulay, in Lagos on Saturday.
The event, organised by the Macaulay Heritage Foundation, will hold at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos, at 10am.
The colloquium will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Macaulay’s death and the 162nd anniversary of his birth, providing an opportunity to reflect on his contributions to Nigeria’s political development and struggle for independence.
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Tinubu will attend as the Special Guest of Honour, while Jonathan will serve as Chairman of the occasion.
Other dignitaries expected at the event include Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, traditional rulers, statesmen, political leaders, captains of industry, clerics, and members of the academic community.
Born on November 14, 1864, Macaulay was a nationalist, politician, surveyor, engineer, architect, journalist, and musician whose activities played a significant role in the agitation against British colonial rule.
He founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) in 1923, making it Nigeria’s first political party and providing a platform for organised political participation and opposition to colonial administration.
Through his political activism and nationalist campaigns, Macaulay contributed to the struggle that laid the foundation for Nigeria’s eventual independence.
He died in 1946, leaving a legacy that continues to feature in discussions on nationalism, political leadership and Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
The colloquium is expected to bring together political leaders, historians, scholars and other stakeholders to examine Macaulay’s contributions to nation-building and the relevance of his ideals to contemporary Nigeria.
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