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Mbeki, Mahama, Others to Speak at Fayemi’s 60th Birthday Anniversary
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former Governor of Ekiti State, is set to mark his 60th birthday in grand style, with a lineup of high-profile speakers, including former Presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and John Mahama of Ghana.
The celebrations will kick off on Monday with a roundtable discussion on regional integration, hosted by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN Commission) in Ibadan.
The highlight of the celebrations will be a commemorative colloquium on Thursday, February 6, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
Mbeki will deliver the keynote address, focusing on renewing the Pan-African ideal in the face of global changes. This will be followed by a seminar featuring leading scholars and thinkers discussing Africa’s place in the changing world.
Other notable events during the colloquium include the launch of Fayemi’s new book, “If This Giant Must Rise,” and the formal launch of the Amandla Institute For Policy and Leadership Advancement, founded by Dr. Fayemi.
According to a statement by the Secretary, of the Planning Committee for Dr Kayode Fayemi’s 60th Birthday Celebration, Mr Egghead Odewale, the formal launch of the Amandla Institute For Policy and Leadership Advancement, founded by Dr Fayemi, will also hold during the colloquium.”
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), will also hold an event in honour of the former Governor, who served as its founding Director, on Friday, February 7th at its headquarters office, in Abuja.
A Youth Festival in honour of the former Governor, put together by Ekiti youths, will take place at Adetiloye Hall, Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti on Saturday, February 8th while the Commissioning of a block of classrooms built and donated to the Command Secondary School, Isan- Ekiti, by the celebrant, will hold in Isan Ekiti same day
The week-long activities, according to the release, will be rounded off with a thanksgiving service at St Martins’ Catholic Church, Isan-Ekiti on Sunday, February 9th, to be followed by a reception at his residence in the town.
Dr Fayemi, who is currently a Professor in the School of Global Affairs at King’s College, London, served two terms as Governor of Ekiti State (2010-2014 and 2018-2022) and was Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. He also served as Minister of Mines and Steel Development between 2015 and 2018; and was the pioneer Director of CDD, a think tank dedicated to policy-oriented scholarship on democracy, development and human security in Africa. An advocate of regional integration, Dr Fayemi played a significant role in the formation of the DAWN Commission in 2013. He was born in Ibadan on February 9, 1965.
