Bishop Kukah to Present 24th Chief S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture

From Dotun Omisakin, Lagos

Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Bishop of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese, has been named by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) to deliver the 24th edition of the Chief S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture.

This key annual event, organized by the NCF in partnership with the family of the late Chief S.L. Edu, is set to occur on Friday in Lagos.

According to an NCF statement, the lecture will focus on the theme, “To Have and To Hold: Faith and Care of the Environment.”

The NCF characterized the guest speaker as “a respected moral voice, scholar, and advocate whose work spans faith, governance, and social justice.”

The Chief S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture serves as the main advocacy platform of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, aimed at highlighting significant environmental issues and advocating for solutions through esteemed speakers.

For over twenty years, the lecture has provided a venue to examine urgent environmental and sustainability concerns both in Nigeria and beyond.

By featuring prominent speakers, this event has consistently presented solutions to environmental challenges while fostering sustainable development.

As stated by the NCF, this year’s theme is a deep reflection on humanity’s ethical connection with nature.

“It encourages a thorough evaluation of whether our beliefs inspire responsible environmental stewardship or inadvertently lead to degradation,” according to the statement.

In anticipation of the event, Dr. Joseph Onoja, Director-General of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, highlighted the significance of the annual lecture.

“At a moment when Africa grapples with overlapping crises of environmental destruction, inequality, and a lack of leadership, the Chief S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture beckons us to revisit values of responsibility, stewardship, and justice. Sustainability transcends mere technical challenges; it presents moral dilemmas as well. This platform reminds us that the future we aspire for must be driven by ethical considerations as well as policy,” he noted.

In an effort to support knowledge creation and skills development, the Foundation will also grant research funding to two PhD candidates from Nigerian universities whose work pertains to environmental sciences and sustainability. These grants will focus on biodiversity conservation, environmental management, and sustainable livelihoods, awarded after a stringent and transparent evaluation process involving academics and stakeholders in conservation. Since its inception, 48 candidates have received this scholarship.