Gabriel Ameh
ABUJA – The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), in collaboration with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), will host a public lecture to commemorate the 2026 Nelson Mandela International Day.
The event, themed “Mandela’s Long Shadow: Foreign Influence Campaigns and the Struggle for South Africa’s Democratic Identity,” is scheduled to hold on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (WAT) at Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
According to a statement issued by the Director of CDD-West Africa, Dr. Dauda Garuba, this year’s commemoration comes amid growing concerns over xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant sentiments directed at African nationals living in South Africa.
The organisation noted that these developments have raised important questions about South Africa’s democratic identity, the influence of divisive political narratives, and the future of Pan-African solidarity.
CDD-West Africa recalled that South Africa’s liberation from apartheid was supported by governments, labour unions, universities, civil society organisations and citizens across Africa. It stressed that hostility towards fellow Africans contradicts the values of unity, dignity, equality and reconciliation championed by the late Nelson Mandela.
The public lecture is expected to bring together academics, labour leaders, civil society organisations, media professionals and democracy advocates from Nigeria and South Africa to discuss the domestic and external factors shaping public attitudes towards African migrants.
Participants will also explore the role of universities, trade unions, the media and civil society in promoting stronger people-to-people relationships and countering narratives that undermine African unity.
The event will be hosted by the Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, while the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University’s Governing Council, Professor Attahiru Jega, will serve as Chairman.
Publisher of Premium Times, Comrade Dapo Olorunyomi, will deliver the lead lecture.
Panelists include Comrade Zwelinzima Vavi of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), Professor Adoyi Onoja of ASUU, Malam Y.Z. Yau of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Comrade Hauwa Mustapha of MOTiON, and Barrister Abdul Mahmud of the Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL).
The discussion will be moderated by Comrade Adagbo Onoja of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
CDD-West Africa said Nelson Mandela International Day should go beyond symbolic celebrations and serve as an opportunity to confront discrimination, political manipulation and the erosion of African solidarity.
The organisation invited members of the public, civil society groups, academia, organised labour and the media to participate physically or virtually in the lecture and contribute to efforts aimed at strengthening democratic values and Pan-African cooperation.
