The Federal University Lokoja has officially unveiled the Centre of Translational Humanities with Vice Chancellor, Prof. Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, describing the initiative as a bold academic intervention designed to redefine the place of the humanities in national development and practical societal transformation.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, May 28, 2026, Prof. Ibileye said the university was standing at the threshold of history as it launched what he described as a pioneering centre with the capacity to reshape research, professional practice and human development across Africa.

According to him, transformative ideas are driven by people who are willing to unite knowledge, vision and expertise toward a shared purpose.

“We are on the verge of making history. Those who change the world do not have to be too many. They come together and harness their brains. I am proud that I have the best brains in this room to change the narrative,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor noted that from the conception of the idea, the university was determined to establish a centre that would move beyond conventional academic traditions and convert humanities knowledge into practical and skill-based solutions capable of impacting society directly.

He explained that the Centre of Translational Humanities was created to add value to existing foundations of the humanities without distorting their intellectual essence, while opening new opportunities for innovation, professional relevance and economic empowerment.

Prof. Ibileye commended the team of scholars, consultants and developers whose collective commitment transformed the vision into reality, stressing that the university assembled some of the finest minds in the humanities and related professional fields to drive the project.

“We have the best in the industry and they are the ones who dominate the industry. We could not have had a more formidable team than this,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that the Centre would emerge as a trailblazing academic initiative not only in Nigeria but across the African continent.

“I want to believe that we will be the only university in Africa that has done this. We do not want to produce things that already exist. We want to innovate because those uncharted terrains usually produce breakthrough research,” he added.

The ceremony climaxed with the official unveiling of the Centre of Translational Humanities by the Vice Chancellor, who declared that all participants were part of a historic moment in the evolution of humanities education and societal engagement at the Federal University Lokoja.

Earlier, the Team Lead, Prof. Akin Odebunmi, while briefing the Vice Chancellor, described the Centre as the first academic centre in Africa deliberately designed to systematically harness the resources of the humanities for direct societal service and transformation.

According to him, the Centre carefully bridges research in the arts, humanities and social sciences with practical human experiences by converting academic knowledge into functional tools capable of strengthening communities, shaping policies, empowering youths, facilitating political transitions, growing livelihoods and boosting economies.

He explained that the Centre operates through two major arms, namely the Interventionist Unit and the Vocationist Unit.

The Interventionist Unit, he said, focuses on identifying societal problems and applying theories, models and practical resources from the humanities in collaboration with government agencies, industries, organisations and development partners to provide sustainable solutions.

The Vocationist Unit, on the other hand, is designed to create new professional opportunities from humanities practice through programmes such as content creation, interpretation, translation, social mediation, cultural mediation and political communication.

Prof. Odebunmi added that the Centre would offer rigorous but flexible postgraduate diploma training deeply rooted in the interface between theory and practice, enabling graduates to develop demonstrable professional portfolios and become employable within Nigeria and beyond.

In his acceptance speech, Pioneer Director of the Centre, Dr. Peter Ochefu Okpeh, pledged the commitment of the Centre’s leadership to building a globally competitive institution driven by innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and practical impact.

He stressed that the Centre was founded on the conviction that the humanities remain central to the sustainability and advancement of society and must collaborate with other disciplines to produce meaningful transformation.

The team of developers, resource persons and facilitators are Team Lead, Prof. Akin Odebunmi (University of Ibadan), Facilitators: Prof. Ayo Osinsanwo (University of Ibadan), Prof. S. T. Babatunde (University of Ilorin), Prof. Olatunde Ayodabo (Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo).

Others also include Pioneer Director: Dr Peter Ochefu Okpeh, Deputy Director: Dr Ezekiel Olajimbiti, Dr Tósìn Ọlágúnjú (DSCCD) and Mrs Winnie Olaniru. See more pictures here

© Directorate of Strategic Communication and Corporate Documentation
Federal University Lokoja