A renewed push to unlock Nigeria’s vast but underutilised potential will take centre stage in Ile-Ife as policymakers, academics, and industry leaders gather for the 2026 Annual Reunion Conference of the Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates Association (UNIFEMGA).
The three-day conference, scheduled for May 8 to 10 at Oduduwa Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University, is expected to attract over 300 delegates, including participants from the diaspora. Organisers describe the event as a strategic platform to critically examine Nigeria’s development trajectory and propose practical, outcome-driven solutions.
Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, will deliver the keynote address on the theme, “The Potentials Within Nigeria,” setting the tone for discussions on governance, public mindset reorientation, and citizen engagement as drivers of national growth.
The event will be chaired by Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, Managing Director of Matrix Energy Ltd, underscoring efforts to align policy discourse with private sector realities. The Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire, is billed as Special Guest, while Chairman of the UNIFEMGA Board of Trustees, AbdulRafiu Ebiti, will serve as Chief Host.
Beyond ceremonial proceedings, the conference is structured as a working forum, with sessions aimed at addressing key national challenges, including economic stagnation, youth unemployment, and innovation gaps. Organisers emphasise that the focus will be on actionable outcomes rather than rhetoric.
A major highlight is the UNIFEMGA Investors’ Forum 3.0, a pitch-based session modelled after the Dragons’ Den format, where entrepreneurs will present business ideas to prospective investors in a bid to stimulate enterprise development and improve access to funding.
The programme will also feature a panel discussion on building value-driven enterprises, a subject gaining prominence amid concerns over corporate governance, sustainability, and ethical business practices in Nigeria.
Notable participants expected at the event include legal scholar Yusuf Olaolu Ali; Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole; Vice-Chancellor of Summit University, Prof. Musa Aibinu; and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila Orangun, Prof. Akeem Lasisi, alongside religious and community leaders.
Additional activities include a Jumu’ah service, courtesy visits to institutional and traditional authorities—including the Ooni of Ife—as well as community-focused initiatives such as scholarship awards, medical outreach, and youth empowerment programmes.
In a statement, UNIFEMGA National President, Mohammed Buari, described Nigeria as “a nation rich in resources and talent, yet constrained by underutilisation and systemic challenges,” stressing that the conference represents a call for collective action.
He said stakeholders must move beyond rhetoric and embrace collaboration as a pathway to unlocking national prosperity.
Analysts note that the conference comes at a critical time, amid ongoing debates over Nigeria’s economic reforms, institutional capacity, and civic responsibility.
With its blend of policy dialogue, investment engagement, and grassroots initiatives, the UNIFEMGA reunion is positioning itself as more than an alumni gathering, but a platform aimed at translating national potential into measurable progress.
