Dignitaries from all walks of life converge on Lagos for Chidi Amuta’s ‘Homage’ a memoir of his journey from modest rural childhood through academia, journalism and public affairs.

The special guest of honour, Former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), represented by Abbey Ibrahim, described Amuta as a national asset, praising his bold, courageous and balanced writing, as well as his ability to examine Nigeria’s challenges beyond ethnic, regional, religious and partisan considerations.

According to Babangida, ‘Homage’  offers readers an insight into the modest life of a fine writer and a notable intellectual. The memoir is “literary and refreshing in style” and rich in insight into both Amuta’s life and Nigeria’s complex national history, he added

In their separate remarks, The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti and Rotimi Amaechi, who were among Amuta’s former students at the University of Port Harcourt, described the author as a blessing, not only to Nigeria, but to the world at large.

According to Otti, the book is written in such a fluid manner that readers could easily feel like participants in the experiences being narrated.

“Let me thank Dr.Chidi Amuta for this book. And it made a fantastic reading. In fact, if you take the book, you’ll probably not be able to put it down,” Otti said.

He also praised Amuta for completing the memoir at the age of 73, describing the feat as a challenge to those who consider age or busy schedules obstacles to intellectual work.

Amaechi, in his remarks, credited Amuta with playing a significant role in shaping his intellectual outlook, ideology and conduct in public life.

He described him as one of the “best materials” at the University of Port Harcourt during their time, praising his academic brilliance and contribution to African literary scholarship.

The book was reviewed by former presidential aide and Chairman Editorial Board, ThisDay Newspapers, Olusegun Adeniyi, who hailed Amuta’s memoir as a profound record of Nigeria’s journey.

The reviewer said the memoir moves from Amuta’s childhood and experiences of the Nigerian Civil War to his academic career, journalism, public service, family life and reflections on Nigeria.

According to Adeniyi, the book’s greatest achievement is its ability to connect personal memory with Nigeria’s post-colonial history.

He praised Amuta for avoiding self-celebration, instead presenting his life as a witness to the people, institutions and events that shaped him.

The reviewer described the memoir as a combination of biography, intellectual history and reflection on Nigeria’s unfinished national project.