Governor Otti to Chair 2026 Fafunwa Educational Foundation Conference

Abia State Governor Alex Otti is expected to chair the 2026 Fafunwa Educational Foundation conference, which will focus on mother-tongue instruction and the future of early education in Nigeria.

The 24th annual lecture and symposium will take place at Agip Recital Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, on September 23. The programme is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., although participants have been urged to arrive by 10:45 a.m. The event is open to scholars and the public.

FEF Executive Secretary Muyiwa Obiyomi said the foundation was grateful that Otti had accepted the invitation. “FEF is grateful that Dr Alex Otti agreed to be our esteemed chairman this year. Otti is widely admired in this country today. His presence honours the legacy of the late Professor Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa.”

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FEF is grateful that Dr Alex Otti agreed to be our esteemed chairman this year. Otti is widely admired in this country today. His presence honours the legacy of the late Professor Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa.

Obiyomi said Fafunwa conceived the annual conference more than 20 years ago. He described Fafunwa as Nigeria’s first indigenous Professor of Education and a longtime researcher who trained generations of teachers and educationists. Fafunwa also served as education minister, helped shape national education policy, and conducted pioneering research into the use of mother tongue in early education at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University.

Fafunwa’s daughter, Professor Sheri Fafunwa Ndibe, welcomed Otti’s participation and called him “a visionary leader in many respects, including in the educational sector.” Lagos Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education Jamiu Alli-Balogun will serve as guest of honour. The conference will feature a keynote address by Professor Francis Egbokhare of the University of Ibadan and a guest address by Kenyan linguist and multilingual education expert Professor Angelina Kioko of USIU-Africa in Nairobi. A panel will include language experts from the University of Ibadan, the University of Lagos, and the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta. The programme will also present postdoctoral awards to recent graduates from several Nigerian universities.

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Governor Otti is a visionary leader in many respects, including in the educational sector.