Kofi Annan arrives in Yorkshire for sold-out Wilberforce Lecture

FORMER UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is in Hull today to deliver a landmark speech to a sellout audience.

The Ghanian-born diplomat arrived in the city yesterday and met with representatives from his home nation in Hull at a reception.

This morning at Hull City Hall he will deliver the annual Wilberforce Lecture, which was established in honour of Hull-born William Wilberforce, the politician who led the 18th century movement to abolish the slave trade.

Professor John Oldfield, director of the University of Hull’s Wilberforce Institute, said it was a major event.

“This is a huge deal for Hull,” he said. “Kofi Annan is one of the big names and a major player in terms of peacekeeping efforts and tackling poverty.

“We had Desmond Tutu here in 2007, and I think 10 years on Kofi is the next best thing.

“There’s a huge anticipation for his lecture.”

After arriving yesterday, Mr Annan led a question and answer session with members of the Youth Parliament in Hull.

He also attended part of the city’s Freedom Festival, which was established in 2007 on the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.

Prof Oldfield said he hoped Mr Annan’s presence would help remind festival-goers of the serious message behind the annual event. Mr Annan’s visit comes during Hull’s tenure as the UK’s City of Culture 2017.

Prof Oldfield, who is also a trustee of the Wilberforce Lecture Trust, said: “The festival is about song, music and comedy but it has a serious message too. Having Kofi here talking about that is great.

“I think this confirms that in this year of capital of culture, Hull is now very much on the map culturally.

“There are some exciting things going on here and people want to be part of it.”

Previous Wilberforce lectures have been led by Desmond Tutu, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Nigerian playwright Wole Soyinka.