Chimamanda to speak at Obiano’s 100 days in office lecture @ Anambra

                        

Multiple-prize-winning nov­elist and en­gaging public speaker, Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been cho­sen to deliver the keynote address at the special lecture being planned to mark Gov­ernor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano’s first 100 days in office.

The event, which will take place on Wednesday, June 25 at the Women Development Centre, Awka, the state capi­tal, will also feature a formal unveiling of the corporate symbols of the new Anambra, which have been in the works for some time now as well as the flag-off of some legacy projects by the governor of the state.

Ms Adichie, who divides her time between Maryland, USA and Lagos, was consid­ered the ideal speaker for the event following her firm grasp of contemporary Nigerian nar­ratives and her soaring status as a persuasive speaker of note.

Ms Adichie, who hails from Abba town in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, is widely believed to be very popular across ethnic and racial boundaries and seen as a symbol for Nigerian youths. Her involvement is believed to be in line with Governor Obi­ano’s passionate drive to redi­rect the energy of the youths of Anambra State to the pursuit of goals and ideals that would bring dignity to the state.

Viewed against the back­drop of the current massive crackdown on criminals in the state, Adichie’s invitation to speak at Obiano’s first 100 days in office lecture is seen as a symbolic reminder to the youths of the state that a return to the values of hard work and legitimate aspirations is still the surest way to a successful and contented life.

She is expected to address an audience of about 2,000 people, including members of the Anambra State Execu­tive Council, traditional rulers, members of different women associations, members of the state House of Assembly, members of the academia and the youths on the subtle issues of governance and the need to re-awaken the Anambra spirit through a determined return to the values that once marked the state out in the country.

Adichie’s address is pro­grammed to fall in sync with the formal unveiling of a new logo and other items of cor­porate identity for the state to formally mark the commence­ment of Governor Obiano’s campaign for the restoration of the intangible assets that once made Ndi Anambra great.

The corporate symbols, which have long been incubat­ed by a Lagos-based integrated marketing communications consortium known as Brand Aristotle, are expected to usher in a new phase of cultural and ethical renaissance in the state that will return it to the path of moral and cultural rectitude.

Adichie, who established herself as one of Africa’s most notable literary voices, made a phenomenal transition into the club of eclectic public speakers with her riveting performance at the 2009 Ted Talk in the UK, poignantly entitled: The Dan­ger of a Single Story.

She firmly establish herself as a speaker of note a couple of years later with another masterful delivery on femi­nism, which eventually found its way into mainstream ac­ceptance when its lines were sampled by super-talented mu­sic diva, Beyonce for her song, Flawless.

Interestingly, since she be­gan to garner global acclaim through her books and speech­es, Ms Adichie has yet to make any serious public appearance in her home state of Anambra until her recent invitation to speak at the governor’s first 100 days in office event.

It would be recalled that since he assumed office on March 17, this year, Obiano has been very outspoken about the ills that have held the state down, upbraiding the custodians of the people’s cultural mores for not asking hard-headed questions of the members of their communities whose wealth has no easy ex­planation.