A retired soldier of the United States of America, Mr. Kingsley Dike, has said that the Unity Hall at Government House, Asaba, Delta State, is fast becoming the Chatham House of Nigeria as a result of the Maris Annual Public Service Lecture.
Since 2020, the Maris Annual Public Service Lecture series, a platform used to proffer solutions to societal challenges, holds at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba, every Wednesday before Easter Sunday.
Chatham House, located at St. James Square, London, acts as a bridge between the worlds of academia, business, and politics. It is a world-renowned independent think tank based in London and help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous, and just world by analyzing global events and providing a forum for debate.
This year’s Maris Lecture will hold on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba.
Nigeria’s 17th Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, will deliver this year’s keynote address titled, “Insecurity: Bane of Nigeria’s Unity and Progress.”
Kingsley Dike, a former Foreign Affairs Reporter with The Guardian Newspapers and a retired Intelligence Analyst with the United States Army, reacted to the lineup of key participants by observing that the Maris Lecture consistently chooses topics focused on societal improvement.
”Sir Fidelis Egugbo, I love this lineup for this very important topic: ‘Insecurity: Bane of Nigeria’s Unity and Progress.
“Please continue to make Asaba and Delta State the premier place for ideas to move the country forward.
”Courtesy of you and the Maris Lecture series, Unity Hall is fast becoming Nigeria’s ‘Chatham House,’ where pressing national and societal issues are deliberated upon, incisive debates are held, and solutions are offered by experienced experts and professionals from all walks of life.
“This is democracy in action,” Mr Dike said.
The immediate past Governor of Delta State, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, CON, will be Special Guest of Honour at the lecture which will have former Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Dele Ezeoba as Chairman of the Occasion.
Prof. Hope Eghagha and Sir Mike Ejiofor, a former Director of the Department of State Services, have so far been unveiled as discussants, while Prof. Kemi Emina, the OdiEga of Ebu Kingdom, will be the moderator.
In his response, Egugbo, who doubles as the Secretary of the Maris Trust Council (organizers of the lecture series) and as the Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, thanked Mr. Dike for following the lecture from his base in the United States.
”Collectively, we can build a better society,” Egugbo asserted, adding, “our Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, deserves kudos for being proactive in governance, which has made Delta safe for this lecture to hold annually and has made the state a haven for people with good intentions.
“Maris Lecture is participatory; it is an inclusive lecture.”
