As part of activities to commemorate the demise in office of General Murtala Muhammed, the Murtala Muhammed Foundation is organizing the 2016 Annual Public Lecture in Abuja on Saturday, February 13, 2016.

This year’s lecture promises to chart a road map for the country and the region in countering threats to national security through engagement with representatives of national security apparatus (military and para-military), government officials, academia, diplomats and key stakeholders in civil society, media, the arts, commerce and industry and a cross generational audience of well meaning Nigerians.

The lecture will take place under the chairmanship of President Muhammadu Buhari, with the theme “Regional Security and State Building: Portents and Prospects”.

Keynote speakers at the commemorative public lecture are Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba, former President of Namibia & winner of the 2015 Mo Ibrahim leadership prize and Lord David Richards, former Chief of Defence to the United Kingdom Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The public lecture will also draw attention to the legacy created by the late General in office, in a period that is still described today as Nigeria’s finest period in international diplomacy.

He was a foremost Pan-Africanist who placed Africa at the centre of Nigeria’s foreign policy and mobilized support for the liberation of other African countries from apartheid, colonialism and neo-Colonialism. In Nigeria, his administration fought corruption and indiscipline, while pursuing peace and security within our borders – he was a firm believer in a peaceful and united Nigeria within an integrated and prosperous Africa.

Two other activities are also planned for Kano and Lagos.

On Friday February 12, a historic Jumaat prayer session will be said by the Emir of Kano, Muhammed Sanusi II, at the Masallachin Murtala, Isa Waziri Road, Gadun Albasa, Kano, where the Late General is buried.

On the same day in Lagos, the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, in partnership with the National Museum, will open to the public an exhibition on the life and time of the late General Muhammed at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos.

The exhibition will be declared open by the Minister for Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, after which guests will visit the cenotaph of the late head of state.

The Murtala Muhammed Foundation, an organization founded on the ideals of late General Murtala Muhammed and committed to improving the lives of Nigerians and Africans, has led efforts to develop innovative approaches to dealing with the challenges facing the country. The foundation is therefore honoured to lead these efforts.

Activities to commemorate the demise in office of General Murtala Muhammed are proudly sponsored by Lekoil, AMG Petroenergy and Asset Management Group.