ZULUM, OBASA, OLOYEDE LEAD DIGNITARIES AS UMA HOLDS 31ST RAMADAN LECTURE AT UNILAG
The University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA) will on Sunday, 15 February 2026 hold its 31st annual pre-Ramadan lecture, continuing a tradition that has prepared Muslims for the fasting month for more than three decades.
The lecture, under the theme “The Light Beyond: Guiding Our Souls to Paradise,” is scheduled to take place at the J.F. Ade Ajayi Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos, Akoka, beginning at 10 a.m.
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, will chair the event, while the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola, will serve as chief host.
The keynote address will be delivered by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa.
The main guest speaker, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and Secretary-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, is expected to speak on the topic, “Muslims: The Challenge of National Security.”
A second lecture will be delivered by Dr. Ridwan Jamiu, Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque, on the topic “The Path to Paradise: How to Get There.”
According to the organisers, the event will also feature other activities including a Qur’an recitation challenge, free medical tests and the distribution of Ramadan palliatives.
UMA’s pre-Ramadan lecture series began in 1995 as a platform to prepare Muslims spiritually for Ramadan, promote religious education and engage the wider public on contemporary issues from an Islamic perspective. The programme has been held annually since then without interruption.
Organisers say the choice of topics each year is informed by prevailing social, economic and moral concerns, combining spiritual guidance with discussions on national and global challenges.
In previous editions, the lecture has attracted senior government officials, traditional rulers, academics and Islamic scholars from within and outside Nigeria. Past themes have addressed economic reforms, governance, ethics and social responsibility.
Speaking about this year’s lecture, Dr. Mumini Alao, President of the UNILAG Muslim Alumni, said the topics reflect contemporary social and spiritual issues. “We decided to discuss national security as the lead topic this year because it’s the biggest challenge facing Nigeria at the moment,” he said. “It’s also not a coincidence that the Governor Zulum of Borno State will chair the lecture, knowing that his state has been one of the most affected. The second topic on how to get to paradise is equally important because that is our ultimate goal as Muslims.”
While inviting the generality of the public to the lecture, Alao said further that it also serves as a reunion for Muslim graduates of UNILAG and a platform to give back to the society at large.
The Ramadan fast which is expected to begin next week is a period marked by fasting, prayer, charity and heightened spiritual devotion by Muslims worldwide. Devotees abstain from food, drink and other worldly pleasures from dusk to dawn for 29 or 30 days.
Signed:
Dr. Mumini ALAO
National President, UMA.
