The event  being expertly moderated by the Registrar, Fr. Wilson Akhigbe, while the Rector of CIWA, Very Rev. Fr. Prof. Jude Abidemi Asanbe, welcomed &  expressed gratitude to all attendees. Among those present, according to Dickson Enwono, our reporter, 

 are the mother of the inaugural lecturer, numerous faculty members from various Nigerian universities, and a virtual audience following the proceedings closely. In his opening remarks, Fr. Asanbe emphasized the critical connection between digital communication and artificial intelligence, stating, "The Nexus Between Digital Communication and Artificial Intelligence is Human Intelligence." He extended his congratulations to Prof. Egere, noting not only his status as the youngest professor at CIWA but also his distinction as the first alumnus of the institute to deliver an inaugural lecture. He further commended CIWA for its impressive record, highlighting that out of its 41 lecturers, 21 are alumni, a notable achievement among Nigerian tertiary institutions.

Fr. Prof. Ferdinand Nwigbo, of the Systematic Theology Department and chairman of the inaugural lecture, also congratulated Prof. Egere for his unique contributions to academia and for being the first inaugural lecturer to be vested by an internal professor at CIWA.

The highlight of the first session, as reported by our correspondence Famgba Precious, was the citation of Prof. Inaku Egere by Sr. Dr. Elizabeth Titilayo Aduloju from the Centre for the Study of Africa Cultures and Communication . She provided an impressive overview of Prof. Egere's academic accomplishments, stating, "Prof. Egere has attended 65 conferences, both locally and internationally, serving as an invited speaker at 31 of these, including at his national and international alma maters".

She added  "over the five-year span from 2014 to 2019, he authored 10 conference correspondences. Between 2015 and 2021, he published 10 articles in international journals and, from 2012 to 2023, contributed 16 articles to national journals. His other academic contributions, inter alia, include 9 book chapters from 2014 to 2023, 5 published books, and the supervision of 9 doctoral dissertations and 28 master’s theses, in which he served as first moderator for 17 and second moderator for 22. Additionally, he serves as editor-in-chief and associate editor for nine reputable journals, holds memberships in nine learned societies, and actively participates on 19 boards and standing committees within and beyond CIWA."

As the lecture is still ongoing, we look forward to providing further insights and details from this significant academic event.

Fr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie

@CESSAC-CIWA, Dec. 6, 2024