Business leader and philanthropist Folorunso Alakija on Tuesday received Dr. Zoe Marks, faculty director of the Harvard Center for African Studies (CAS), and a delegation in Lagos ahead of the annual Distinguished Folorunso Alakija Lecture on Religion and Public Life in Africa—the series’s first-ever Lagos staging.
Folorunso Alakija
Folorunso Alakija
“It was a wonderful morning of exchanging pleasantries, sharing ideas, and setting the tone for an impactful gathering of thought leaders, scholars, and changemakers in Africa,” Alakija said after the welcome meeting. “I had the pleasure of receiving Dr. Marks and her team,” she added, noting her excitement that the lecture is finally being hosted in her home city.
Launched by Harvard CAS in 2018, the Alakija Distinguished Lecture connects faith leaders with scholars and the public to explore the shifting lines between the sacred and the secular, and the private and the public, across African societies.
Folorunso Alakija
Folorunso Alakija
Folorunso Alakija
Alakija—Executive Vice-Chairman of Famfa Oil Limited, noted philanthropist and former university chancellor—has long championed initiatives that advance education, enterprise, and social impact. The Lagos edition of the lecture continues that mission, convening voices from across the continent for rigorous, solutions-driven dialogue.