UNN Department of Religion Inaugurates Annual Lecture, Honours Bishop Ajayi Crowther
By Chijioke Attah
The Department of Religion and Cultural Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has inaugurated its Annual Lecture Series, with the maiden edition dedicated to the memory and enduring legacy of the late Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Christianity, education, ecumenism and the socio-cultural development of Africa.
The inaugural lecture was delivered by the Bishop on the Niger, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Owen Chiedozie Nwokolo, PhD, who examined the life, ministry and enduring influence of Bishop Ajayi Crowther, widely regarded as one of Africa’s foremost Christian pioneers.
Speaking on the theme of Crowther’s remarkable legacy, Bishop Nwokolo described his life as “a compelling testimony to the capacity of Christian faith, education and determined leadership to transform not only individuals but entire societies.”
He said the renowned cleric’s extraordinary journey from slavery to becoming the first African Anglican bishop remains one of the most inspiring stories in African history.
According to him, Crowther distinguished himself as a pioneering missionary, educator, linguist, Bible translator and church leader whose influence transcended religious boundaries.
The guest lecturer examined Crowther’s transition from enslavement to episcopacy, his pioneering contributions to Christian missions, education and African linguistics, as well as his lasting impact on nation-building and the religious, intellectual and cultural development of Nigeria and the wider West African sub-region.
He noted that Crowther’s decision to appoint predominantly African missionary personnel after establishing the Niger Mission represented one of the earliest deliberate efforts to place missionary leadership in indigenous hands, thereby challenging prevailing racial assumptions about African intellectual and administrative capacity.
Bishop Nwokolo further observed that Crowther’s missionary enterprise was inseparable from the advancement of education, stressing that the schools established under the Church Missionary Society produced many of the nationalist leaders who later championed Africa’s struggle for liberation and independence.
He also highlighted Crowther’s pioneering work in African linguistics, recalling that at a time when many European scholars dismissed African languages as inadequate for sophisticated intellectual discourse, Crowther proved otherwise through his translations and linguistic scholarship.
According to him, Crowther demonstrated that African languages possessed the grammatical complexity, literary richness and conceptual depth required for theology, education, administration and scholarly engagement.
He added that these achievements laid a strong foundation for cultural renaissance, ethnic consciousness and Nigeria’s nationalist movement during the colonial era.
Concluding his lecture, Bishop Nwokolo said Ajayi Crowther’s life exemplified the transformative power of education as a tool for personal and societal development, insisting that sustainable national progress must be rooted in indigenous systems rather than the wholesale imitation of foreign models.
Earlier, the Head of the Department of Religion and Cultural Studies, Ven. Dr. Collins Ugwu, thanked Bishop Nwokolo for accepting the invitation to deliver the maiden annual lecture.
He said the Annual Lecture Series was introduced as part of efforts to enrich scholarship, promote intellectual engagement and increase the department’s visibility within and outside the university community.
Ugwu also commended the Bishop on the Niger for his visionary leadership, particularly in the establishment of the University on the Niger and several other impactful projects that have positively affected humanity.
He, however, drew attention to the challenges confronting the department, especially the inadequacy of facilities required to enhance teaching, learning and research.
Among dignitaries at the event were the Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya; the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. T. C. Nzeadibe; and the Provost of the School of Postgraduate Studies and Chairman of the Organising Committee, Prof. Malachy Okweze.
This version makes it clear that the Department inaugurated its own Annual Lecture Series, while the maiden edition honoured Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther through a lecture delivered by Rt. Rev. Owen Chiedozie Nwokolo, PhD, rather than suggesting that the lecture series itself bears Crowther’s name.
EDITOR
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, as well as M.Sc Mass Communication at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is the immediate past NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
