A Professor of Political Science at Lagos State University (LASU), Sylvester Odion Akhaine, will deliver the 4th Lateef Jakande Memorial Lecture in Lagos on 23 July 2026.
The lecture, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, is themed “The Media, INEC, Voters and the Path to Credible Elections.”
Akhaine, a former human rights activist, was among those who campaigned for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria during military rule. He served as General Secretary of both the Campaign for Democracy and the United Action for Democracy.
He obtained a PhD in Politics from Royal Holloway, University of London, in 2004. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Centre for Constitutionalism and Demilitarisation and Editor of The Constitution, a journal on constitutional development.
A 2005 Stanford University Fellow on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, Akhaine is also a contributing editor to the UK-based Review of African Political Economy and a visiting member of The Guardian editorial board.
He is the author of several books, including The Case of a Nursing Father and Our Colony and Another Woman of Substance, as well as numerous articles published in academic journals.
Announcing the lecture in a statement issued on Sunday, the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) said the annual event was established in 2023 to honour the legacy of the late Alhaji Lateef Jakande, an iconic journalist, the Guild’s pioneer President, former Governor of Lagos State and former Minister of Works.
The statement, signed by the NGE President, Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, said the memorial lecture provides a platform for media leaders, public officials and civil society actors to reflect on nation-building, governance and the role of the press.
It described the event as “a fitting tribute to Alhaji Jakande’s legacy, which embodies dedication to journalism, governance and service to Nigeria.”
According to the Guild, former Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, will chair the lecture, while Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will attend as Special Guest of Honour.
The Guild said newspaper proprietors, managing directors, editors-in-chief, civil society organisations, academics and students are expected to attend. Students and lecturers of Mass Communication and Journalism from Caleb University, Ikorodu; Lagos State University, Ojo; Yaba College of Technology; and the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, are also expected at the event.
The NGE said it invites university students to the lecture annually to enable them to “learn the value of service, excellence and dedication to journalism and public service, as well as connect with practising journalists who could serve as their role models in the profession.”
The inaugural Lateef Jakande Memorial Lecture was held in 2023 and delivered by Chief Felix Adenaike, a Fellow of the NGE. In 2024, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman of THISDAY and ARISE News, spoke on “Rapidly Changing Media Landscape: Survival Strategies.”
The third edition, held in 2025, was themed “Journalism and the Challenge of Nation-Building in a Multi-Ethnic Society” and was delivered by Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed.
