NSUKKA, Nigeria (XOL Africa) — Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, a U.S. faith leader and chairman of the Board of Trustees of Virginia Union University, is set to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Nigeria and present a posthumous degree to the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first president and founder of the university.
Richardson will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Social Work during the University of Nigeria’s 55th convocation ceremony in Nsukka, Enugu state, on Saturday.
In his capacity as chairman of Virginia Union University’s Board of Trustees, Richardson will also present a posthumous Doctor of Laws degree, honoris causa, to Azikiwe.
Azikiwe, who became Nigeria’s first president after independence and served from 1963 to 1966, began his academic career in the United States in the 1920s at Storer College, a historic institution that later merged with Virginia Union University.
Richardson described the visit as an opportunity to strengthen historical and institutional links between Africa and the African diaspora.
“This visit is not simply about receiving an honor; it is about recognizing that the descendants of Africa and the continent of Africa share an unbroken legacy,” Richardson said.
“It is a profound privilege to return to the university founded by Dr. Azikiwe and to honor his legacy by forging new, dynamic partnerships between African institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States,” he said. “We share the same roots, and we must build a shared future.”
The University of Nigeria said Richardson is being recognized for five decades of leadership as senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, New York, where he has led community development initiatives that include the construction of 800 units of affordable housing.
Richardson also serves as chairman of the Conference of National Black Churches and chairman of the board of the National Action Network, organizations through which he has been involved in civil rights, social justice and corporate diversity initiatives.
He is expected to address the University of Nigeria’s Class of 2026 during the convocation.
His address will draw on themes from his book, “Never Lost: The Black Church as God’s Ark of the Covenant,” in which he presents the history of the Black Church as part of a broader global African narrative.
Richardson argues that the Black Church helped preserve African identity, leadership, resilience and culture among Africans and their descendants during and after the trans-Atlantic slave trade, ultimately contributing to the reconnection between the African diaspora and the continent.
The University of Nigeria was founded in 1960 as Nigeria’s first indigenous university. Its mission emphasizes scholarship, innovation and service.
Richardson’s visit is expected to highlight academic and cultural links between African universities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States.
The full text of Richardson’s commencement address, titled “Returning Home: The Ark of Our Shared Heritage,” was under embargo until its delivery, according to the organizers. It was expected to be made available following the ceremony.
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