Former UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to deliver Anyiam-Osigwe Lecture

Former UK Prime Minister and Member of Parliament, Boris Johnson, will address the 16th session of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe annual lecture series.

The former UK leader will address the august gathering in Lagos on 27 March.

The last edition was addressed by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari

While announcing the 2023 event, the Acting Coordinator-General of Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation, George Anyiam-Osigwe, noted that the former UK Prime Minister joins the rank of global statesmen and women that had addressed the lecture’s eminent audience in the past.

Mr Johnson, according to the statement, will bring to bear his experiential knowledge as one of the significant international statesmen of the 21st century to examine the central theme of the lecture, “Rehumanising Human Experience: A Synopsis of Anyiam-Osigwe’s treatises.”

The former Mayor of London and former UK Foreign Secretary, through his keynote address, will offer solutions to some of the global challenges that are currently plaguing the world, stoking citizens’ frustrations and anger, the statement noted.

Why we chose Boris Johnson

On the choice of Mr Johnson, the coordinator-general of the Foundation said the former PM was chosen for his courage, extensive and practical knowledge in confronting some world knotty domestic and global problems such as Brexit, COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine war during his premiership.

“We considered him the right person to speak to the theme of rehumanising the world. The world has gone through serious upheavals in the last two decades; from the civil war in Syria, political instability in parts of Africa, Brexit that has really tested the United Kingdom and the entire European Union, the trade war between China and America and the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down the entire world for more than a year with attendant social and economic dislocation.”

The statement noted that Mr Johnson is one of the active global leaders of the last decade who had to deal with some of these problems and led the world through a once-in-a-century pandemic.

“We are of the strong view that our country and the world can benefit from his experience and perspectives,” the statement said.

About Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has previously served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party.

He was also once Foreign Secretary and Mayor of London. He is still a serving member of the British parliament.

He succeeded Theresa May as UK Prime Minister after the latter resigned over her inability to get the Brexit deal concluded.

READ ALSO: British PM Boris Johnson resigns

The statement from the Foundation said Mr Johnson is a champion of democracy, freedom and free market capitalism, and believes that the sheer innovative power of the west will take us through the ramifications of the war on Ukraine and post-COVID shocks, and will defeat struggling authoritarian regimes.

The statement said Mr Johnson believes technology, driven by free market democracies, will ultimately defeat our biggest challenges on health, science and global warming.

Also, Mr Johnson, the statement stated, argues that in the 21st century, countries must be able to deregulate and be as competitive as possible which explains why he successfully campaigned for Brexit – taking back control of UK law, marking the biggest constitutional change for half a century, and enabling the UK to generate the fastest vaccine approval in the world and the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe – with all the subsequent economic benefits.

“Mr Johnson is the kind of politician who takes risks for the principles of democracy, freedom and free markets, and stands alongside those fighting against authoritarian regimes”, the statement said.