Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed worry over what he described as a rising trend of cancelled university speaking engagements in Nigeria, following the sudden cancellation of a planned lecture at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
In a statement shared on his official page on 25 April 2026, Obi said he was initially invited to deliver a keynote address at the university by 9:00 a.m., before heading to Ibadan for another political event. However, he said he was informed at the last minute that the OAU lecture would no longer take place.
He explained that the invitation had been sent months earlier and preparations were already completed before the event was called off.
Obi described the situation as worrying, adding that it is not the first time such an incident has happened. According to him, similar cancellations have occurred on more than ten occasions recently, suggesting a repeated pattern.
He also recalled another case involving the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), his former school, where a lecture scheduled in honour of former Vice Chancellor, Professor Frank Ndili, was also cancelled on the same day it was expected to hold.
Obi said these repeated disruptions go beyond personal inconvenience and raise serious concerns about freedom of thought and academic expression in Nigerian universities.
He noted that universities are supposed to be places for learning, open discussion, and exchange of ideas, warning that constant cancellations could weaken these values.
Comparing his experiences abroad, Obi said he has participated in academic events at institutions such as the University of Oxford, Harvard University, and the University of Cambridge, where open discussions are encouraged and protected.
He stressed that Nigeria’s growth depends on protecting spaces where knowledge and ideas can be freely shared, especially in higher institutions.
Obi questioned what the future of the country would look like if academic spaces continue to shrink, urging stakeholders to reflect on the direction being taken.
He concluded by calling for stronger protection of university independence, insisting that academic institutions must remain open platforms for free expression without unnecessary restrictions.