Kunle Adelabu
Going forward with the annual Imota Ayayo Day Public Lecture, Prof. Olumide Olushola Metilelu, Chairman Annual Lecture Committee and the Commissioner representing Ikorodu Division in Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), has revealed plans of the committee to compile lectures delivered by distinguished scholars and eminent personalities in the last four years when the initiative started into a compendium.
While stating that every edition is part of a continuing conversation about the heritage of Imota and its future, Prof. Metilelu, who noted that the lecture has become an integral part of the annual cultural celebrations, emphasised that the compendium would be preserved as reference materials for further research.
The scholar revealed the plan at the 4th edition of the annual lecture which is part of the activities celebrating the 40th annual Imota Ayayo Day.
The lecture themed, “Youth Empowerment, Responsible Media, Democracy and National Security: Building a Safer and More Inclusive Future” was delivered by Chief Olalekan Adeleke Ogunbanwo, Chief Executive Officer, Kwenu FM and a former Permanent Secretary, Lagos State, at the CALEB University Multipurpose Hall, Imota, on Friday.
“The Annual Imota Ayayo Public Lecture was established to give our cultural celebration an enduring intellectual, educational and developmental dimension. Imota Ayayo is therefore not only about celebrating our culture and traditions; it is also about creating a platform for reflection, dialogue, scholarship and ideas that can contribute to community development.
Now in its fourth edition, the lecture has become an important intellectual tradition within Imota Ayayo. We are particularly pleased to welcome our eminent past Guest Speakers, whose contributions have helped establish and strengthen this tradition. Their presence reminds us that every edition is part of a continuing conversation about our heritage, our society and our collective future.”
Revealing the committee’s plans, Prof. Metilelu stated that the compendium when achieved would be a body of knowledge that will be useful to generations and prevent the annual lecture from just being a memory.
“Looking ahead, one of our important aspirations is to develop a Compendium of the Imota Ayayo Annual Public Lectures. This compendium will preserve the contributions of successive Guest Speakers and the ideas generated through this forum, creating an enduring research and reference resource for scholars, students and institutions, particularly in the fields of culture, heritage, tourism, community development, governance and youth development.”
“In this way, each annual lecture will leave behind not only memories, but also a body of knowledge that future generations can study, reference and build upon.”
The former acting Rector, Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), also raised a poser for stakeholders and residents of Imota, when he urged that they should be concerned about the legacy for existing and coming generations.
“As we celebrate 40 years of Imota Ayayo, we must look beyond celebration and ask ourselves: What have we preserved? What have we learnt? What opportunities lie before us? And what kind of Imota do we want to hand over to the next generation?”
“These questions capture the spirit of our theme, “Celebrating Our Heritage, Shaping Our Future.” Our heritage is not merely what we inherit; it is also a resource from which we can build a stronger and more sustainable future,” he said.
