Oby Ezekwesili to deliver keynote at Penpushing Media’s 7th annual lecture

Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, renowned human capital development expert, governance reform advocate, and former Nigerian Minister, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker at the 7th edition of the annual lecture organized by Penpushing Media. The event is scheduled to hold on July 31, 2025, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

This year’s lecture will center on the theme “Reworking Nigeria’s Federalism: Perspectives on Restructuring and Fiscal Federalism.”

Chairperson of the anniversary planning committee, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, made the announcement during a media briefing, stating that Ezekwesili has confirmed her physical attendance at the lecture.

She further revealed that the keynote session will be followed by a high-level panel discussion featuring four distinguished intellectuals who will join Ezekwesili to dissect the core issues around Nigeria’s federal structure and fiscal governance.

Ezekwesili, who is the Founder of Human Capital Africa and a globally respected voice on economic development, has commended Penpushing Media for its consistent efforts in shaping public discourse and contributing to national development through impactful journalism and media engagement.

A woman of many firsts and far-reaching influence, Dr. Ezekwesili served as Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Solid Minerals and later as the Minister of Education between 2006 and 2007.

She went on to become the Vice President for the Africa Region at the World Bank, where she oversaw operations in 47 Sub-Saharan African countries, managed a staff strength of over 1,500, and supervised a project portfolio worth nearly $40 billion.

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Currently serving as a Senior Economic Advisor at the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative under the Open Society Foundation, Ezekwesili provides strategic counsel to nine African heads of state committed to reform. Her advisory role spans economic policy, development strategy, and implementation.

Her leadership and advocacy work extend to numerous international boards and institutions. She sits on the boards of Bharti Airtel, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), New Africa Magazine, the School of Public Policy at Central European University, and the Global Advisory Board of Facebook’s Community Leadership Program, among others. She is also a board member of AfriHeritage Institute, and serves in advisory capacities with the UNHCR and Atlantic Dialogues.

Ezekwesili’s contributions to public service and activism have earned her several global recognitions. She was named among BBC’s 100 Women in 2014, TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2015, and the Genius: 100 Visions of the Future by the Albert Einstein Foundation in 2017.

A consistent voice for accountability and citizen-driven governance, Ezekwesili was a frontline figure during Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggles in the 1990s as the first female Chair of The Concerned Professionals Citizens Movement. She is a co-founder of the globally recognized #BringBackOurGirls campaign, which brought international attention to the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014.

In more recent years, she has continued her civic engagement through initiatives such as the #RedCardMovement (RCM), a non-partisan citizens’ movement calling for an end to bad governance, and the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), which she founded to raise a new generation of public leaders. She also co-chairs the #FixPoliticsInitiative, focused on overhauling Nigeria’s political culture and systems.

Penpushing Media, the organizer of the lecture, is a prominent online newspaper and media platform known for its credible journalism and commitment to public enlightenment. The annual lecture has grown to become a flagship forum for thought leadership, policy conversation, and media development in Nigeria.

The 7th edition promises to be a significant gathering of policymakers, academics, civil society actors, journalists, and the general public as they engage on the critical issue of Nigeria’s federal structure and its impact on governance and development.