ENUGU, Nigeria — Valentine Ozigbo, a respected Nigerian business leader and a 2025 Anambra governorship hopeful, joined other eminent Nigerians in calling for urgent restructuring and reform at the 14th Chief Emeka Anyaoku Lecture Series on Good Governance, held on Monday, April 29, 205, at the International Conference Centre, Independent Layout, Enugu.
Themed “Imperative of Good Governance in Nigeria,” the event convened a distinguished gathering of statesmen, scholars, and stakeholders to deliberate on the challenges and pathways towards strengthening Nigeria’s democratic governance.
In a keynote address, Professor Gambari proposed a comprehensive reform agenda, calling for a new constitution, restructuring, decentralisation of governmental powers, and a leadership recruitment process that prioritises credibility and elite consensus.
He further emphasised the need for retooling the state’s role as a guarantor of security, ensuring equal rights regardless of birthplace or residence, managing political parties more effectively, and addressing structural weaknesses in national institutions.
Chief Emeka Anyaoku, in his remarks, lauded Governor Mbah for what he described as “quiet but laudable” strides in transforming Enugu into an industrial, educational, and agricultural hub.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Valentine Ozigbo underscored the urgency of rethinking Nigeria’s foundational structure.
“It was a profoundly important engagement — to gather some of our most respected elders and leaders, individuals with unimpeachable credentials and deep reservoirs of experience, to reflect on the urgent governance challenges before us,” Ozigbo said.
“At the heart of it all is one truth: without fixing our foundation, we cannot hope to achieve the kind of governance Nigeria needs and deserves. A weak foundation cannot sustain a strong nation.”
He continued, “Today, we are a country but have yet to become a true nation. As Chief Emeka Anyaoku so eloquently reminded us, history is filled with examples of countries that failed to manage their diversity through proper federal structures — Yugoslavia and Sudan, among others — and who paid the ultimate price.
“Those who succeeded, like India, Canada, Brazil, and others, did so by embracing decentralisation and true federalism.”
Ozigbo warned that the modest instances of good governance currently witnessed are unsustainable without deliberate systemic design.
“The few instances of good governance we sometimes celebrate are fleeting snapshots — accidental, not systemic. Without a deliberate, structural redesign, they cannot endure,” Ozigbo, a multiple-award-winning Global CEO, continued.
“We once experienced better governance when Nigeria was decentralised. Until Nigerians awaken to this consciousness and demand real structural reform, we will continue to recycle failure.
“Nothing earthshaking and enduring will happen until we say — collectively and resolutely — enough is enough,” he added.
Throughout the lecture series, speakers consistently echoed the theme that Nigeria’s political and governance challenges are deeply rooted in structural imbalances and a lack of cohesive nation-building.
The lecture series, hosted by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, was attended by prominent figures, including Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a former Commonwealth Secretary-General; Professor Ibrahim Gambari, a former Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria; General Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd.); Chief John Nnia Nwodo; Professor Elochukwu Amucheazi; Engineer Chris Okoye; Dr. Martin Chukwunwike, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State; Hon. Ezenta Ezeani, the Deputy Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, Ben Etiaba, and many more.
The 14th edition of the Chief Emeka Anyaoku Lecture Series thus concluded with a renewed collective call for bold reforms aimed at securing Nigeria’s future as a united and prosperous nation.
The event has been widely praised for its intellectual depth and the quality of discourse, with many attendees calling for follow-through action that matches the clarity of diagnosis and urgency voiced during the sessions.
