By Samuel Sunday
Ekiti Elders to Honour Babatola with Lecture on Nigeria’s Security Challenges
The Ekiti Council of Elders has called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s security architecture, urging stronger institutions, improved intelligence gathering and greater collaboration among security agencies to address the country’s worsening insecurity.
The council made the call ahead of the second edition of the Joel Eyinafe Babatola Annual Lecture Series, scheduled for November 10, 2026, in Ado-Ekiti, in honour of the late statesman.
Speaking at a press briefing held at the Elders Resort, Ado-Ekiti, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Olu Femi Adewumi, said the lecture would take place at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, Ikere Road, Ado-Ekiti, by 11:00 a.m.
The lecture, titled “The Paradox of Nationhood: The Struggle for Reinventing Nigeria’s Security Architecture,” will be delivered by Professor Dipo Kolawole, a former Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University.
Adewumi explained that the theme was chosen based on the prevailing security challenges confronting the country, including insecurity, religious intolerance, ethnic divisions and mutual distrust, which he said continued to threaten national unity.
He noted that the annual lecture was designed to promote intellectual engagement and encourage leaders to uphold the values of honesty, selflessness, accountability and responsible leadership associated with the late Babatola.
Describing the deceased as an incorruptible public servant, Adewumi said Babatola consistently placed public interest above personal gains, maintaining his integrity even when faced with opportunities to compromise his principles. He added that the late statesman’s contributions to public service, educational development and the revival of the Ekiti Council of Elders remained worthy of recognition and emulation.
Also speaking, Bishop Odu, representing the Council of Elders, described the lecture as an important intellectual platform for examining Nigeria’s security challenges and proffering practical solutions.
Other members of the council expressed concern over declining standards of leadership and public accountability, particularly among political office holders who, according to them, accumulate wealth without translating their positions into meaningful development for their communities.
On the country’s security architecture, the elders acknowledged efforts to decentralise security operations and strengthen grassroots security structures, including vigilante groups and forest guards. They, however, maintained that insecurity remained a major national concern requiring sustained government attention, effective intelligence gathering and improved cooperation among security agencies.
The council urged journalists and media organisations to give the November 10 event adequate publicity, stressing that the lecture would provide an opportunity for constructive conversations on national security, responsible leadership and nation-building. The annual lecture series is organised in memory of Chief Joel Eyinafe Babatola, whose public service record and commitment to the development of Ekiti State the council seeks to preserve through intellectual engagement and public discourse.
