Former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed will lead a high-profile delegation of University of Ilorin alumni to the launch of renowned poet and scholar Tunde Olusunle’s two new books.
The event, scheduled for Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at the prestigious Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, will witness the unveiling of Orisirisi: Vistas on Contemporary Politics in Nigeria and Toasts, Tributes and Wreaths.
The launch will be chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, while Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, will serve as the Chief Host. Governor Ododo will be joined by several of his colleagues from across the country in what is expected to be a high-profile literary event.
Olusunle, a distinguished alumnus of Unilorin, will be surrounded by many of his fellow graduates, including notable figures such as Senator Fatai Buhari, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, and Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The event will also feature prominent personalities from various sectors including media, academia, government, and business.
Among the distinguished guests are Managing Director of Thisday newspaper, Eniola Bello, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports Development, Tinuke Watti, and the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, Professor Yemi Akinwumi.
Also expected are top government officials like former NNPC Executive Director, Dr. Victor Babatunde Adeniran, and Babatunde Irukera, the pioneer Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
Notably, the Nigerian Police Force will be represented by Assistant Inspector General of Police, Ademola Hamzat, on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. AIG (Mrs) Rhoda Adetutu Olofu, Secretary of the Nigerian Police Force, a 1986 graduate of Unilorin, will also attend.
The event will highlight the diverse contributions of Unilorin alumni to Nigeria’s political, economic, and cultural landscape, and serve as a platform for intellectual discourse, in line with the themes explored in Olusunle’s books.
A poet and journalist of repute, Olusunle is an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja.
His latest works reflect his deep engagement with Nigeria’s sociopolitical dynamics and celebrate personalities through poetic tributes and reflections.
He has previously published three poetry collections and two compendiums of essays, cementing his place in Nigeria’s literary canon.
As preparations peak for the book launch, the gathering promises to be a remarkable meeting of minds, offering reflections not only on literature but on the state of the nation.