By Nkechi Eze
Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, is set to headline the 2026 annual reunion lecture of the Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates Association, as stakeholders converge in Ile-Ife, Osun State, to deliberate on Nigeria’s vast but largely untapped potential.
According to an official signed statement by Prof. Sirajudeen Obayopo, Chairman of the Planning Committee, the three-day conference will hold from May 8 to May 10, 2026, at the iconic Oduduwa Hall. The statement, also endorsed by the association’s Public Relations Officer, Ibraheem Fagbenro, disclosed that Issa-Onilu will deliver a keynote lecture on the theme, “The Potentials Within Nigeria.”
The conference is expected to assemble a cross-section of distinguished alumni, policymakers, academics, and industry leaders to interrogate pathways for harnessing Nigeria’s human capital and economic opportunities in pursuit of sustainable national development. Organisers emphasised that the gathering will serve as a strategic platform for intellectual engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and forward-looking policy dialogue.
The event will be chaired by Alhaji Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Matrix Energy Group, while the Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire, will attend as Special Guest of Honour. The Chairman of UNIFEMGA’s Board of Trustees, Alhaji AbdulRafiu Ebiti, is designated as Chief Host.
Other high-profile participants expected at the conference include Prof. Yusuf Olaolu Ali; the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole; Prof. Musa Aibinu of Summit University, Offa; Prof. Akeem Lasisi of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun; and the Chief Imam of OAU, Prof. Abubakar Sanusi, among others.
Activities lined up for the reunion include a Jumu’ah service, courtesy visits to the university management and the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, as well as a networking dinner featuring the UNIFEMGA Investors Forum 3.0. The forum, modelled after the popular television format “Dragons’ Den,” will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to pitch innovative business ideas to prospective investors, alongside a panel session focused on building value-driven enterprises in Nigeria.
Additional events scheduled for the reunion include a welcome reception, student-focused engagements such as a picnic and empowerment programmes, scholarship presentations, medical outreach, fitness sessions, and novelty matches aimed at strengthening alumni cohesion.
The organisers noted that the annual reunion has evolved into a flagship platform for UNIFEMGA, promoting sustained intellectual discourse, mentorship, and collaborative action among its members and partners. The 2026 edition, they added, will place particular emphasis on youth empowerment, innovation, and the strategic mobilisation of Nigeria’s human and technological resources.
Speaking ahead of the conference, the National President of UNIFEMGA, Alhaji Mohammed Buari, underscored the urgency of the national conversation, stating that “Nigeria is endowed with immense resources and talent. This conference is a call to action for all well-meaning Nigerians to look inward, collaborate and unlock the vast potential that lies within our nation.”
With over 300 delegates, including participants from the diaspora, already registered, the 2026 reunion is projected to be a significant convergence of thought leaders and stakeholders committed to national progress and unity.
