The Founder of Human Capital Africa and former Nigerian Minister, Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker at the 7th Annual Penpushing Media Lecture, scheduled to take place on 31 July 2025, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Chairperson of the anniversary lecture, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, made the announcement during a media briefing, disclosing that Mrs Ezekwesili has formally accepted the invitation and will be physically present to deliver the keynote address.
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The theme of this year’s lecture is “Reworking Nigeria’s Federalism: Perspectives on Restructuring and Fiscal Federalism.”
In addition to Mrs Ezekwesili’s keynote, the event will feature a panel session with four distinguished intellectuals who will share diverse insights on the subject.
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Mrs Ezekwesili commended the Penpushing Media editorial board and planning committee for their foresight and relevance in the media industry, describing the platform as a vital contributor to public discourse and nation-building.
A former federal minister, Mrs Ezekwesili served as minister of solid minerals and later as minister of education between 2006 and 2007 before joining the World Bank, where she served as vice president for the Africa Region.
In that capacity, she oversaw a staff of over 1,500 and managed a lending portfolio of nearly $40 billion across 47 Sub-Saharan African countries.
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A Chartered Accountant by training, Mrs. Ezekwesili is currently a Senior Economic Advisor with the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative at the Open Society Foundations, where she advises reform-minded African heads of state on economic development strategies and policy implementation.
Her extensive board memberships span global institutions including Bharti Airtel, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Central European University’s School of Public Policy, The Harold Hartog School of Government and Policy, New Africa Magazine, and Tufts University’s Center for Global Leadership.
She also serves on the Global Advisory Board of Facebook’s Community Leadership Programme, the Board of Directors of AfriHeritage Institute, and is a member of the UNHCR Advisory Group on Gender, Forced Displacement and Protection. Additionally, she is on the Advisory Board of the Atlantic Dialogues and the Global Board of Governors of NCMG International.
Mrs Ezekwesili’s accomplishments have been widely recognised: she was named one of BBC’s 100 Women in 2014, featured in TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2015, and selected among Albert Einstein Foundation’s Genius: 100 Visions of the Future in 2017.
Beyond her public service, Mrs. Ezekwesili has a longstanding legacy in socio-political activism. In the 1990s, she was the first female Chair of The Concerned Professionals, a group that championed the return to democracy and the validation of the annulled 1993 election won by Moshood Abiola.
She also co-founded the Bring Back Our Girls movement in 2014, which brought international attention to the abduction of schoolgirls in Nigeria’s Northeast by Boko Haram terrorists.
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She is also the Founder and Convener of the #RedCardMovement (RCM), a citizen-led advocacy platform launched in 2018 to push for the end of poor governance at all levels of government in Nigeria, regardless of political party affiliation.
The Penpushing Media Anniversary Lecture has grown into a leading intellectual gathering attracting thought leaders, policymakers, and media professionals, with a reputation for tackling critical national issues.
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