President Bola Tinubu, former head of state, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar and Governor of Borno State, professor Babagana Zulum are among other eminent leaders listed for this year Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Zik’s annual awards lecture.

While the president is slated to be the special guest of honour, Gen Abubakar will be the chairman of the occasion while Zulum will be the keynote speaker.

Director General of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe Annual Awards Lecture, Chief Chineme Onyeke, in a statement, Friday, said other notable Nigerians expected at the event which will be held at the conference Hall of Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja on November 16, 2024.

The former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon will serve as the father of the day with most of the Governors, National Assembly members and ministers of the Federal Republic from across the country in attendance as guests of honour.

Among the Governors expected at this year’s event Governor of Borno State who will deliver the same keynote speaker, Sim Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, Governor of Nasarawa State, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, Governor of Enugu State and Mohammed Umar Bago, Governor of Niger State, all of whom will be conferred with different categories of Zik’s Awards while Senator Dave Umahi, the Hon minister of works, tops the list of ministers and National Assembly members to be honored at the event.

The DG noted that Zik’s annual awards lecture which holds every November 16, the birthday of the great Sage, has remained a rallying point for Nigerians to X-ray the various issues bedeviling the nation with a view to finding ways to keep fostering unity and common understanding among Nigerians as espoused by the great Zik while alive.

Onyeke expressed hope that this year’s lecture, the 5th in the series, will help to build a consensus among Nigerians on the need to continuously place the interest of the nation first before self as the great Zik did throughout his lifetime, “inviting Nigerians to collectively buy into Zik’s idea of one united Nigeria, perpetual and eternal where though tribe and tongue may differ, brotherhood would remain it’s rock solid foundation.”