At 80, Primate Olabayo’s Legacy Spurs a Deeper Debate on Prophetic Leadership and Public Responsibility

When senior clergy, scholars, and public leaders gather in Lagos in February, the occasion will be more than a birthday celebration. It will be a moment of reckoning for the Church’s role in society.

On Thursday, February 26, 2026, a high-level colloquium will convene at the Alliance Française de Lagos to mark the 80th birthday of Primate Theophilus Oluwasanu Olabayo (PTOO), whose ministry has spanned decades of ecclesiastical leadership, theological reflection, and moral engagement with Nigeria’s public life.

Themed: “Shaping Prophetic and Spiritual Leadership for Global Impact: Celebrating the Legacy of Primate Theophilus Oluwasanu Olabayo at 80, the colloquium seeks to interrogate how prophetic authority is exercised in an era of political complexity, social fragmentation, and declining public trust.

The organizers describe the event as both a tribute and a forum for serious reflection on leadership beyond the pulpit.

The keynote address will be delivered by The Rt. Rev. Professor Dapo Folorunsho Asaju, Bishop of the Diocese of Ilesa and Bishop Theologian of the Church of Nigeria.

A scholar-bishop and former Vice-Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Professor Asaju is expected to situate prophetic leadership within a global context marked by cultural shifts, institutional pressures, and the growing expectation that faith leaders address issues far beyond doctrine.

Other speakers include Rector of Crowther Graduate Theological Seminary, Ven. Professor Rotimi Omotoye; Professor Oluwayemisi Obashoro-John, Assistant Chaplain, Chapel of Light, and Lecturer, University of Lagos; Bishop Professor Clement Isola Ojo, President and Rector of Trinity Faith Bible College and Seminary, and Bishop Enighokhana Oni, Bishop and Overseer, Evangelical Church of Yahweh, Edo District, who is the Chairman of the Day.

The choice of speakers reflects the colloquium’s broader ambition: to move the conversation on Christian leadership beyond celebration into scrutiny. Nigeria’s religious institutions, long among the most influential in public life, are increasingly being asked to account for their role in governance debates, social cohesion, and ethical leadership.

For the organizers, Primate Olabayo’s milestone birthday provides a timely lens through which to revisit these questions. “This is not only about honoring a life,” said Elder Dan Abass, Chairman of PTOO@80. “It is about examining the kind of leadership the moment demands.”

The colloquium will take place at the Alliance Française de Lagos / Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, on Thursday, February 26, 2026, and will commence at 12:00 noon.

Other activities planned as part of the week-long celebration include a Thanksgiving Praise Concert on February 24, 2026; a Novelty Match on February 27, 2026; a Gala Event on February 28, 2026, and a Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, March 1, 2026.