Southern Delta University Launches Prof Sam Oyovbaire Public Lecture Series, Hosts NIIA DG Osaghae for Maiden Lecture

The Southern Delta University (SDU), Ozoro, Delta State, has announced the commencement of the Professor Sam Oyovbaire Public Lecture Series, an annual intellectual platform established to honour renowned scholar and public servant, Professor Sam Egite Oyovbaire, while promoting informed discourse on national and global issues.

The university said the lecture series was conceived to celebrate Professor Oyovbaire's outstanding contributions to academia and public service spanning more than five decades, as well as provide a platform for scholars, policymakers and professionals to proffer practical solutions to contemporary societal challenges.

According to the institution, the initiative is aimed at celebrating excellence in scholarship and distinguished public service, stimulating academic research within the university community, fostering meaningful interventions on national and international issues, and contributing to the search for solutions to developmental challenges confronting humanity.

The lecture series will feature eminent personalities from academia, public service and other sectors, with panel discussions and the publication of the lectures under the imprimatur of Southern Delta University.

The maiden edition, scheduled for Thursday, August 6, 2026, at the Main Auditorium of the university's Orerokpe Campus, will be delivered by the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Professor Eghosa Osaghae. He will speak on the theme, "Federal Statecraft without Crafters: The Nigerian Predicament."

The lecture will be examined by a panel of distinguished discussants comprising Professor Sam Aghalino, Vice-Chancellor of Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba; Professor Willy Ehwarieme of Delta State University, Abraka; and Professor Joyce Ogwezi, former Dean of Students' Affairs at Dennis Osadebay University.

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, is expected as the Special Guest of Honour, while the Chairman of the Body of Benchers and Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Albert Akpomudje, Eyavwien-Alaka I, will chair the event.

Students, academics, public servants, political leaders, professionals, traditional rulers and members of the public are expected to attend the lecture, which begins at 12 noon. The university expressed optimism that the annual lecture series would become a leading platform for intellectual engagement and policy dialogue on issues critical to Nigeria's development and global progress.