– Hosts 2025 Planning Committee
In renewed efforts to make the 2025 Ahiajoku Festival a landmark celebration of Igbo thought and culture, the Planning Committee recently visited renowned scholar and industrialist, Professor Barth Nnaji, at his Geometric Power Plant office in Aba, Abia State. The visit underscored the growing excitement surrounding this year’s festival and the enduring legacy of the Ahiajoku Lecture Series.
The Geometric Power Project, valued at $800 million, is an independent power initiative that generates and supplies electricity to nine local government areas in Abia State, collectively known as the Aba Ring-Fenced Area.
Leading the delegation, the Director-General of the Ahiajoku Centre, Nze Ray Emeana, commended Professor Nnaji for his enduring contributions to Igbo intellectual and cultural advancement through his 2009 Ahiajoku Lecture titled “Ka Ihe Di: The Power of Light Energy as a Fundamental Instrument for Socio-Economic Development.” He said Nnaji’s practical translation of that vision through the establishment of the Geometric Power Plant has transformed Aba into a vibrant industrial hub and a symbol of Igbo ingenuity.
Emeana informed Nnaji that the theme of this year’s Ahiajoku Festival is “The Future of Igbo Economy Amidst the Challenges of Insecurity: A Call for Paradigm Shift.” He disclosed that all past Ahiajoku lecturers, known as the Ahiajoku Laureates, including Professor Nnaji, will be specially honored for their scholarly and cultural contributions to the advancement of Igbo civilization.
In his response, Professor Nnaji thanked the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, and his administration for reviving the annual Ahiajoku Lecture Series, which had become dormant for several years. He described the revival as a major cultural renaissance and an affirmation of the intellectual depth of the Igbo nation. “Please, inform Governor Uzodimma that we are happy the lecture is back. What is more, Ahiajoku has now given rise to a government agency dedicated to researching and advancing Igbo civilization,” Nnaji told the delegation.
The former Minister of Power used the occasion to reiterate his commitment to Nigeria’s industrial and technological advancement. According to him, every geopolitical zone in the country should be seen as a centre for development and not a platform for political rivalry. He maintained that meaningful national growth can only occur when each region is empowered to become productive and self-sustaining.
Highlighting the uniqueness of the Geometric Power Project, Professor Nnaji revealed that the steel tubular poles installed in the Aba Ring-Fenced Area are the only of their kind in Nigeria. He explained that they were specially designed to withstand natural disasters, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to Aba because of the city’s central role in the nation’s economic life.
The 2025 edition of the Ahiajoku Festival, which will hold in Owerri on November 27 for the Colloquium and November 28 for the Lecture, will be delivered by His Lordship, Professor Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese. The event is expected to draw Igbo leaders and stakeholders, leading scholars, cultural enthusiasts, and policymakers from across the world.
In a vote of thanks, Professor Goddy Onuoha lauded Nnaji’s exemplary record as a public servant and innovator. He recalled that even during his brief stint as Minister of Power and as Minister of Science and Technology, Nnaji demonstrated uncommon courage and determination to transform Nigeria’s energy and industrial landscape. “As a minister, you never took ‘no’ for an answer,” Onuoha said, “and the work you did in 1993, though brief, still stands as a testament to visionary leadership.”
