The Founder and Chancellor of Baze University, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has pledged ₦25 million to support research into indigenous Nigerian knowledge systems, highlighting the importance of preserving Africa’s intellectual heritage.
He made the announcement during the Seventh Inaugural Lecture of Baze University, delivered on Tuesday by the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abiodun Adeniyi. The lecture, titled “How Your Village Is Following You: Mobility, Memory and the Mediated Persistence of Belonging”, explored the enduring influence of identity, memory and community in an increasingly mobile and digitally connected world.
Declaring the event open, Baba-Ahmed described inaugural lectures as one of academia’s most important traditions, noting that universities are ultimately judged by the quality of scholarship and ideas they contribute to society.
“Today marks an important moment in the continuing story of our university,” he said. “Universities exist to ask difficult questions, challenge assumptions, expand the boundaries of knowledge and help society better understand itself.”
The Chancellor noted that although Professor Adeniyi now serves as Vice-Chancellor, the lecture had been scheduled before his appointment.
“Despite his new role, he remains a scholar, a teacher, a researcher and an intellectual. At the heart of every great Vice-Chancellor is a commitment to scholarship and learning,” he stated.
In his lecture, Professor Adeniyi argued that migration should no longer be viewed merely as physical movement from one location to another. Rather, individuals carry their memories, identities, relationships and histories wherever they go.
“The village is not merely a geographical location; it is a moral archive, a symbolic anchor and a continuing source of identity formation,” he said.
Tracing migration from the eras of slavery and colonialism to present-day movements driven by economic realities and globalisation, the communication scholar observed that many young Africans increasingly associate migration with opportunity and fulfilment.
“There is a deep-seated belief that fulfilment cannot be achieved within existing realities. People think that if they want to give life meaning, they must seek alternatives outside Nigeria and Africa,” he noted.
According to him, advances in technology have transformed rather than diminished people’s attachment to their roots. Mobile phones, social media platforms, messaging applications and digital networks now enable migrants to remain closely connected to their communities, making physical absence no longer synonymous with social absence.
“Communication now goes beyond substitution; it represents groups, forms relationships and creates new kinds of human interaction,” he said.
Professor Adeniyi further explained that while identity has traditionally been shaped by factors such as religion, gender, class, age and education, digital participation increasingly influences how people understand themselves and their communities.
He noted that memories once preserved through oral traditions are now stored in digital archives comprising photographs, videos, messages and online interactions, enabling individuals to carry traces of their histories wherever they go.
While acknowledging the benefits of technology, he cautioned against emerging challenges associated with artificial intelligence and digital platforms, including misinformation, surveillance, digital manipulation and governance concerns.
Despite these challenges, he maintained that technology has strengthened rather than weakened people’s sense of belonging.
“Invariably, the point of origin is no longer simply where one comes from; it is where one continues to be seen from,” he stated.
Also speaking at the event, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, described Professor Adeniyi as a long-standing friend of more than three decades and commended his consistency as a respected communication scholar and academic leader.
He also praised Baba-Ahmed for his commitment to scholarship and the advancement of education in Nigeria, noting that Baze University’s facilities reflect high standards and a clear vision for academic excellence.
In his goodwill message, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of Voice of Nigeria, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, commended Professor Adeniyi for his contributions to media and communication scholarship, describing the lecture theme as timely and relevant in an era shaped by migration, digital media and evolving identities.
Ndace also lauded Baba-Ahmed for his commitment to academic excellence and intellectual engagement. He noted that Voice of Nigeria, through its multilingual broadcasts in English, French, Arabic, Hausa, Fulfulde, Igbo, Yoruba, Swahili and Mandarin, continues to amplify discussions on culture, identity, migration and development across Africa and beyond.
Speaking at the event, the Obaro of Kabba and Chairman of the Okun Area Traditional Council, His Royal Majesty Oba (Dr) Solomon Dele Owoniyi, congratulated Professor Adeniyi on his appointment as Vice-Chancellor and praised Baba-Ahmed for building Baze University into a thriving institution.
The monarch revealed that the Okun people celebrate their New Year in June using an indigenous calendar system and expressed readiness to partner with the university. He also disclosed that the Kabba area, comprising six local government areas in Kogi State, could provide land for future expansion initiatives.
In his closing remarks, Baba-Ahmed said he was astonished by the revelation that an indigenous Nigerian culture maintains its own calendar system, describing the discovery as one of the most significant outcomes of the lecture.
“I am amazed by the fact that there is a Nigerian culture with its own calendar. Do you know how important this is?” he said.
Drawing comparisons with ancient civilisations such as the Maya, Aztec, Inca, Chinese, Indian and Mesopotamian cultures, the Chancellor lamented the neglect of African intellectual heritage and called for deliberate efforts to document and preserve indigenous knowledge systems.
To encourage further research, he announced a personal donation of ₦25 million to support scholarly work on the Nigerian indigenous calendar.
“I’m opening the field. Whoever wishes to research the Nigerian indigenous calendar will have access to this ₦25 million fund,” he declared.
He urged scholars to move beyond conventional research boundaries and contribute to knowledge capable of restoring pride in Africa’s intellectual traditions.
“We have discovered something truly significant. It will bring pride to Africa. Leave your desks, go out and conduct research, add to knowledge and help us continue to learn how to live,” he said.
The event attracted academics, policymakers, traditional rulers, students, alumni, media practitioners and other distinguished guests to the university auditorium in Abuja.
For many attendees, the occasion was more than an academic exercise. It sparked important conversations about migration, identity, technology and the value of indigenous knowledge in a rapidly changing world.
