By HOSEA NYAMLONG
The University of Jos community on Thursday, November 27, 2025, witnessed a remarkable influx of participants from across Nigeria and around the world for the Frantz Fanon Centenary Conference held in Jos, Plateau State.
The event, hosted at the Faculty of Social Sciences Auditorium, marked the 100th anniversary of Frantz Fanon (1925–2025) under the theme, ‘Fanon and the African Condition: Reflections on an Enduring Legacy’.
Declaring the two-day programme open, the Plateau State Governor, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, represented by his Adviser on Political Affairs, Istifanus Mwansat, commended the University of Jos for its strong partnership with the state government in promoting quality education.
He described Fanon as more than a writer, saying he was a theorist, psychiatrist and revolutionary deeply committed to defending the dignity of the oppressed.
Mwansat noted that Fanon’s teachings on colonialism, cultural renewal and human freedom remained relevant today as Africa continued to struggle with economic dependency and widening social injustice.
He urged Africans to “think boldly, strengthen institutions, build the youth for the future, and transform the economy in ways that honour the dignity of every citizen.”
In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Pic Charles Onwoche, described the conference as timely in view of current global and national realities.
He said the university remained committed to training future leaders equipped with the capacity to build a better Nigeria and a better world.
Onwoche thanked partners, scholars, participants and the Plateau State Government, expressing confidence that the conference sessions would be transformative, constructive and informative.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Adele Jinadu, a renowned political scientist and former INEC Commissioner, described Fanon as one of Africa’s leading Pan-African thinkers alongside Nnamdi Azikiwe, Walter Rodney, Patrick Lumumba and Kwame Nkrumah.
He lamented that Africa was currently suffering from what he termed a “poor leadership syndrome,” which undermined democratic structures and weakened economic liberation.
Jinadu criticised African leaders for lacking the political will to move the continent forward, adding that reliance on Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) and conditional external aid continued to cripple African economies.
THE NIGERIA STANDARD gathered that the conference drew dignitaries from government, labour unions, private organisations, academia and the general public from within Nigeria, across Africa and beyond, underscoring Fanon’s enduring influence on global Pan-African thought.
The programme featured plenary sessions examining Fanon’s ideas, his contributions to African liberation movements and the relevance of his work to contemporary governance challenges.
In separate remarks, prominent scholars and leaders, including Prof. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja (DRC), ASUU National President Prof. Christopher Piwuna (represented by Prof. Aisha Bawa), NIPSS Director-General Prof. Ayo Omotayo (represented by Prof. Musa Umar) and Comrade John Ejoha Odah of the Centre for Democracy and Development, argued that democracy has not failed Africa.
Rather, they said African leaders have failed to actualise good governance, warning that the ruling class increasingly behaves like “new colonial masters” by ignoring Africa’s cultural and political contexts.
They expressed hope that the conference would inspire new ideas, stronger political systems and more effective mentorship structures to develop future African leaders from institutions of learning.