All preparations have been concluded for Prof. Nnaoma Iwu, a distinguished expert in Comparative Politics, Strategic Studies, and Conflict Resolution at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, to present the institution’s 61st inaugural lecture on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
The lecture, titled “Killing the ‘gods’ of Ethnicity inhibiting Nigeria’s Journey towards Technological Innovation: Football Theory of Scientific Development to the Rescue,” aims to examine ways of overcoming ethnic divisions to enhance national development and accelerate technological innovation in Nigeria. The event, which marks another academic milestone at AAUA, will be held in the University Multipurpose Hall at 2pm; guests are urged to be seated by 1.30pm. The lecture promises to generate robust discourse among scholars, policymakers, and students alike.
In a statement, the Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chairman of Ceremonies, Prof. Adebisi Daramola, affirmed that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, will chair the event.
Prof. Iwu’s academic journey began in 2000, when he earned a Bachelor of Science degree (Hons) in Political Science from the University of Ibadan. He obtained a Master’s degree in Political Science in 2002, also from the University of Ibadan, and completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science at the same institution in 2014.
He thereafter joined Adekunle Ajasin University in 2014 as a Lecturer I in the Department of Political Science, and has since risen through the academic ranks to become a Professor in 2023.
Aside from teaching and research, Prof. Iwu has served the institution in several capacities. He has served as Acting Head of the Department of Political Science, Coordinator of the Departmental Postgraduate Programme and Part Time Programmes (IPTP), and Secretary of the Local Organising Committee of the Adekunle Ajasin University/Leeds United University (UK) Joint Public Lecture.
A seasoned researcher, the don has authored a book and coauthored chapters in nine other scholarly books, with 31 journal articles to his credit. He has also attended and presented papers at 19 conferences both in Nigeria and abroad, including in Benin, the United States, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom.
Beyond Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, he has worked as a Lecturer II in the Department of Political Science at Tansian University, Oba, Anambra State; the Department of Political Science at Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State; and the Department of Political Science at Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. He has also worked as a Facilitator at the National Open University of Nigeria, Akure, Ondo State.
In recognition of his scholarly distinction, Prof. Iwu has received several awards, grants, fellowships, and honours. These include: Award of Excellence from the Department of Political Science, Adekunle Ajasin University; Award of Excellence from the Department of Political Science, Achievers University, Owo; and Award of Excellence from the Department of Political Science, Afe Babalola University, Ekiti. In addition, he was a recipient of the 2016 Brown International Advanced Research Institutes (BIARI) Alumni Funding Grant Competition (Group Project on “Governing Diversity in the Twenty-first Century”); holds a BIARI certificate in Ethnicity, Conflict, and Inequality in Global Perspectives from Brown University, United States (2016); and obtained an Advanced Digital Appreciation Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI) certificate, Akure (2012).
He holds active membership of the Nigeria Political Science Association (NPSA) and the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP), and is affiliated with the Knowledge Mill International Foundation (KMIF). He is also a Senior Research Associate at the Minority Issues Research Institute (Research That Matters).
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