TheCable

The Murtala Muhammed foundation says it will hold its annual memorial lecture in Abuja on Monday.

The lecture will mark the 41st memorial of Muhammad, Nigeria’s fourth post-independence head of state.

He died on Friday, 13 February 1976 during a military mutiny.

Murtala Muhammed Foundation is an organisation founded on the ideals of the late leader and “committed to improving the lives of Nigerians and Africans”.

In a statement on Thursday, the foundation said the lecture would focus on “humanitarian crisis and response in a pluralistic society and the role of leadership in the face of such multi-ethnic population”.

The statement said Kashim Shettima, governor of Borno state, would deliver the keynote address.

“This public lecture will also draw attention to the legacy created by the late General in office, in a period that is still described today as Nigeria’s finest period in international diplomacy,” the statement read.

“He was a foremost Pan-African who placed Africa at the centre of Nigeria’s foreign policy and mobilised support for the liberation of other African countries from apartheid, colonialism and neo-colonialism.

“In Nigeria, his administration fought corruption and indiscipline, while pursuing peace and security within our borders – he was a firm believer in a peaceful and united Nigeria within an integrated and prosperous Africa.”

The statement said stakeholders in the humanitarian sector would review and examine the role of leadership in response to the humanitarian crisis.

“The leadership challenge in humanitarian response has necessitated a collective and holistic approach by citizens, organisations, state actors and the civil society towards developing a framework for effective response in the face of the current humanitarian needs in Nigeria,” it read.

President Muhammadu Buhari was the keynote speaker at the last edition of the programme.