The University of Lagos Consultancy Services (UNILAG Consult) has announced plans to honour Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, for his exemplary leadership style.
According to Professor John Lekan Oyefara, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of UNILAG Consult Limited, at a press conference at the boardroom of UNILAG Consult in Lagos on Wednesday, said the honour is in recognition of Governor Diri’s visionary, inclusive, and transparent leadership.
The triple event, scheduled for Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos, will feature the public presentation of a new book titled “Leadership Chronicles of Governor Douye Diri,” an International Public Lecture, and the launch of a Professorial Chair on Good Governance.
The Professorial Chair will serve as a living academic legacy, promoting teaching, policy dialogue, and research that advance the principles of good governance and leadership excellence in Nigeria and across Africa.
Governor Diri, fondly called the “Miracle Governor” of Bayelsa State, has been widely commended for his commitment to transparency, participatory governance, and the use of technology to drive sustainable development in the health and education sectors. The book, “Leadership Chronicles of Governor Douye Diri,” documents the governor’s journey, philosophy, and impact, while the international public lecture will bring together renowned scholars, policymakers, and diplomats to examine the future of governance and leadership in Africa.
Distinguished guests expected at the event include the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who will serve as Chief Host.
Also expected is Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, among other dignitaries from within and outside Nigeria.
Professor Oyefara stressed that through this initiative, UNILAG Consult aims to document and preserve the lessons of transformational leadership for generations to come. He stated that governance rooted in integrity, inclusiveness, and accountability remains the foundation for national progress.
Professor Hope Oghenerukevbe Eghagha, a distinguished Professor of English at the university and General Editor of the book, noted that the event is meant to underscore the University’s continued commitment to bridging the gap between academia, policy, and leadership practice, while using research and dialogue to strengthen democratic governance across Africa.
He declared that Governor Diri’s focus on education, infrastructure, peace-building, and youth empowerment has positioned Bayelsa as a model of inclusive governance in the Niger Delta. Professor Eghagha is a playwright, poet, novelist, and newspaper columnist who has served as Head of the Department of English and Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education.
Also speaking, the project consultant, Mr. Sola Ojewusi, said the governor had made giant strides in different spheres. He said the governor upgraded healthcare in the state with the delivery of drugs to remote areas of Bayelsa State with drones. He noted that this innovative approach to health delivery had saved lives and ensured quick access by the people to medical attention in dire circumstances.
