Akunyili Delivers Odenigbo Lecture Series 2007

Akunyili delivers Odenigbo Lecture series 2007

Professor Dora Akunyili has delivered the 2007 lecture in the Odenigbo series.

Odenigbo is the name of a yearly public lecture which the catholic archdiocese of Owerri,Imo state Nigeria, initiated for the praise of God and the advancement of the spirit of the Igbo people and language through spreading the gospel, good works, good behavior and good education among the general public. The literal meaning of Odenigbo is the one that writes in Igbo. Substantially, Odenigbo is the permeating of the essential values of life through the medium of the Igbo language. It is quite unique in concept and presentation. In the following words, the founder positions the rationale for Odenigbo;

Given the need to welcome the Good news of salvation into the
intimacy of our lives and Igbo culture, special prominence would
be given to the Igbo language through an annual series of lectures
by Igbo scholars in Igbo language’
AJV Obinna.

There are four tenets under which Odenigbo operates. The first tenet posits that Odenigbo causes good things to be put in writing, to be established, and to become widely known. The second tenet hinges on the premise that Odenigbo will heighten interest among the Igbo to use the language to accomplish things among themselves. The third tenet of Odenigbo aims at making the Igbo speaker not just a reader, but a writer of Igbo as well. Finally, the fourth tenet of Odenigbo seeks the enthronement of Jesus Christ as the ultimate ‘Odenigbo’, ‘Ezi Odenigbo’, and ‘Odenuwa’ as he continually permeates and operates within the Igbo nation.


Odenigbo runs as a two day event- the eve is usually dedicated to numerous cultural displays-a prelude to the lecture day. The climax of Odenigbo is the lecture day which usually starts with a Eucharistic celebration at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral in commemoration of the Owerri Archdiocesan day.

The title of this years lecture is ‘Ogwu di ire,ezi nka na nruru aka’ (Fake Drugs).With this, Dora will be taking the Nafdac’s war on fake drugs to the level of culture-spiritual.

Akunyili’s lecture will be the 12th in the series which started in 1996.Previous lecture titles and lecturers include;

1996- ‘Olumefula’,delivered by Professor Nolue Emenanjo,founder,Nigerian
Institute of Languages Aba.
1997- ‘Chibundu,ofe Chukwu na ndu ndi igbo’, delivered by Dr. Theo
Okere of Imo State.
1998 -‘Onyegbula-ndi Igbo na nsopuru ndu’, delivered by Professor
Metu Ikenga of Anambra state.
1999 ‘Echi di ime-taa bu gboo’delivered by Professor Chinua Achebe.

2000- ‘Ujunwa-anuri uwa nile’, delivered by the founder, Archbishop
Anthony Obinna.

2001- ‘Uwa ohuru-aka mgba chere ndi Igbo’, delivered by Prof John
Egbulefu of Abia State.

2002- ‘Agwa bu mma-nzuzi na nzuzo umu igbo’, delivered by
Dr.Mrs Gabriella Nwaozuzu, Associate Professor of Linguistics and
Igbo, UNN.

2003- ‘Odozi obodo-ochichi maka ezi oganihu ala Igbo’,
Delivered by Dr Godfrey Ona of Enugu state, lecturer, Pontifical
Urban University Rome.
2004-‘Ahuike-ike ogwu na ike ekpere’, delivered by Dr Barnabas
Chukwuezi, provost, Imo state University Teaching Hospital, Orlu.

2005-‘Akobundu-amamihe na ebute oganihu’, delivered by Prof
Victor Okereke of Abia State, resident in NY, USA.

2006- ‘ Ijeoma-ofo ndi igbo na ago’, delivered by Rev Dr.Maduakolam
Osuagwu, Co-ordinator, Justice, Development and Peace Commission
(JDPC), Owerrri.


Professor Mrs. Dora Akunyili is a veteran statesman and fundamentalist. She is a headliner any day as her name rings bell on both local and international scenes. She has received over 370 awards at home and abroad. Her honors rolls include;

Ø Icon of hope for Nigerians (2002), by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ø Order of the Federal Republic-OFR (2002)
Ø Integrity Award (2003) by Transparency International in South Korea
Ø International Euro market Award (2003, 2005 and 2006) by European Marketing Research Center (EMRC), Belgium.
Ø Special Award for combating Economic Crime (2004) by International Pharmaceutical Federation, (FIP).
Ø Grassroots Human Rights Campaigner Award (2005), by Human Rights Defense Organization (International Service) in British House of commons.
Ø Man of the year 2005 Award by Silverbird Communications Ltd, Nigeria.
Ø Honored as one of the 18 heroes of Time magazine worldwide by Time magazine New York (2005).
Ø Honorary degree of Dr of Laws by University of Bristol, London (2006).
Ø Honorary Georgia Citizen by the state of Georgia, USA (2006).
Ø FIP Pharmacist of the year 2005 by the International Pharmaceutical Federation.
Ø Olympic Torch Bearer, Olympic Torch Relay, Athens 2004.
Dora Akunyili is happily married with four children. The treasure team bid her welcome to Odenigbo.