Arewa House, the internationally acclaimed centre for historical documentation and research, has outlined an elaborate programme aimed at celebrating its 50 years anniversary.
The one week programme will kick-off on October 31 with a lecture to be delivered by the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr Kayode Fayemi.
The anniversary lecture will be chaired by former Vice President Muhammad Namadi Sambo(GCON).
The centre’s yearly lecture series is unarguably the biggest political event in Northern Nigeria.
“This year’s is a special one, being a milestone celebration of 50 years of our existence. It will be big, elaborate and unique,” according to the director of the centre, Shuaibu Aliyu.
Other activities lined up for the celebration include exhibition on the life and times of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. There is also an award presentation to be given to eminent personalities that played and continue to play important roles in the development and growth of Arewa House in the last five decades.
The programme is scheduled for the Banquet Hall at 10:00am inside the expansive Arewa House complex, the last official residence of the premier of the Northern region, late Sir Ahmadu Bello.
Arewa House was established in 1970 when a committee was tasked to write a book on the history of Northern Nigeria. The House was official residence for Sir Ahmadu Bello, the first and only Premier of Northern Nigeria.
The House was then converted to a research centre in 1970, after a committee known as the History of Northern Nigerian Committee was given the responsibility of writing a book on the history of Northern Nigeria.