The serene town of Isiokpo, Rivers State Nigeria, was abuzz on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, as Africa’s educational centre of excellence, Wigwe University, hosted the 10th edition of the Kurukuru African Roots Renaissance Roundtable (AR3).
Initiated in 2015 by Nollywood legend and university don, Dr. Sam Dede, the Roundtable has held annually, exploring various themes in line with its objective to reawaken the African mind and reignite the spirit of African consciousness especially among young people.
Themed ‘Globalization, the New World Order and the Hijacked Concept of Africanism’, the event drew a large turnout of participants from the university community and outside.
In his opening remarks, Chief Host of the event and Vice-Chancellor of Wigwe University, Professor Marwan Al-Akaidi commended the initiative, throwing a challenge to conscious African minds to go beyond conversations and begin to take Afro-centric actions that would reshape the future of the continent. He said that the Roundatable re-echoes the vision of the founder of Wigwe University, late Dr. Herbert Wigwe, ‘to ignite Africa’s potential for prosperity, nurture responsible fearless leaders and become the leading university in Africa’.
Also speaking, Convener of the Roundtable, Dr. Sam Dede said that the initiative was inspired by the exigent need to confront dominant negative perceptions about Africa, illuminate young African minds with new paradigms of knowledge, and empower a new generation of awakened Africans that would go beyond boundaries in driving the true African narratives in historical contexts and in daring to achieve extraordinary feats to project Africa’s preeminent position in world leadership, denied for several years by deeply entrenched anti-Africa chronicles.
On the theme, Dr. Dede remarked that “The pace of the race towards Globalization and the so-called ‘New World Order’ is extremely confusing and difficult to understand for some of us in Africa and the developing world. Increasingly, the continent has become a mass of ordinary spectators around a specially designed grand chessboard, manipulated and maneuvered by ‘forces’, sometimes spiritual, whose perception of us is that of a people with very little or no value whatsoever. And by far, the grand mind game has positioned us to accept and believe the same perception and narrative about ourselves. Given that evolution will always create the need for adaptation, Africa is desperately in a frantic race to adapt to the ‘New World Order’ and Globalization, against our original concepts of traditional or cultural values and philosophies”.
In their contributions to the engaging conversation, various speakers, including Mr. Deinbofa Ere, Dr. Tayo Isijola, Dr. Kennedy Modugu, Prof. Kalu Nwosu, Dr. Henry Dienye, Dr. Ikenna Onyeachu, Mr. Innocent Ekwulo Chief Adi Wali, Dr. Gift Worlu, Mr. Emmanuel Ephraim and Anthonia Tekuru advocated a redefinition of the concept of Globalization to enable young Africans locate it within the context of dignifying African values. They admonished against pushing the effects of colonialism as reasons for underdevelopment in Africa, noting that other countries such as the United States and India were also colonized but have risen above limitations traceable to the effects of colonialism.
Identifying leadership conundrum as one of Africa’s major development issues, participants and stakeholders challenged leadership recruitment processes across Africa, especially in the political front. While pledging to take more action in support of initiatives aimed at liberating African minds, the Roundtable called on African leaders across all sectors to rise up to the challenge of repositioning Africa as a moral and technological super power in the spirit of African Renaissance.
Director of Academic Planning, Wigwe University, Professor Chinyere Ukaga, Dean, College of Engineering, Professor Makanjuola Oki, Dean, College of Management and Social Sciences, Dr. Kennedy Modugu, Dean Faculty of Humanities, University of Port Harcourt, Professor John Yeseibo, Professor Friday Nwafor, Curator/CEO of Moriri Gallery, Mr. Kayode Adeoti, Dr. Obari Osaro, Professor B. Chima Onuoha, renowned poet, Chijioke Amu Nnnadi, Dr. Prolific Mataruse, Dr. Ekeoma Peter Kings and publisher of Ojemba magazine online, Victor Nwokocha, were among notable dignitaries present at the event.
The event featured a thought-provoking drama performance by students of Wigwe University, written, choreographed and directed by Victor Coker.
The Convener, Dr. Sam Dede thanked everyone for their presence while appreciating the support of Wigwe University and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Al-Akaidi, Fisherman’s Clan Studios, Moriri Gallery, SDX Heritage Inc., and other supporters of the Roundtable.
