The event will feature an impressive lineup of speakers, including Professors Yemi Osinbajo, Niyi Osundare, Tunde Adeniran, Olu Obafemi, Bereket Selassie, Ahmed Yerima, Mabel Evwierhoma, Florence Orabueze, Tanimu Abubakar and Razinat Mohammed
TODAY, scholars in humanities and related fields as well as practising artists and culture workers in diverse disciplines will gather at the J.F Ade Ajayi Memorial Hall of the University Lagos to honour one of them, Wole Soyinka, the first African Nobel laureate in Literature, who clocks 90 on July 13.
Themed “Eni Ogun: An Enduring Legacy,” the symposium kicks off at 10 am.
It is also a hybro=id event, and virtual guests have been asked to join at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87549899551?pwd=Ofrr5usACdju17sg35qRcMJyYTSfvc.1
It is organised by the Nigeria Academy of Letters, NAL, in collaboration with the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE), and “it aims to honour “Professor Soyinka’s lifetime of unique and inspirational achievements,” according to the chairman of the organising committee, Professor Duro Oni, former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos.
“As a distinguished Foundation Fellow of the Academy, Soyinka is celebrated for his powerful words, extensive literary works, and consistent advocacy for justice, good governance, and the dignity of Nigerians and black people globally.
“The event will feature an impressive lineup of speakers, including Professors Yemi Osinbajo, Niyi Osundare, Tunde Adeniran, Olu Obafemi, Bereket Selassie, Ahmed Yerima, Mabel Evwierhoma, Florence Orabueze, Tanimu Abubakar and Razinat Mohammed
The Nigerian Academy of Letters invites scholars, literary enthusiasts, and the public to join in this grand tribute to a global literary giant.
PROFILES OF SPEAKERS
Special Guest of Honour
PROFESSOR OLUYEMI OLULEKE OSINBANJO (SAN, GCON)
E. Professor Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo (SAN, GCON) is a Nigerian lawyer, professor, and politician who served as the 14th Vice President of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. Born on March 8, 1957, in Lagos, Nigeria, Osinbajo is a graduate of the University of Lagos and the London School of Economics. He has had a distinguished career in academia, law, and politics, serving as Attorney General of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and as Vice President of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. Osinbajo’s academic and professional achievements are impressive. He was a professor of law at the University of Lagos and has published several books and articles on law and politics. He holds the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and has received several awards and honors, including the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) and the Danmadami of Daura. As Vice President, Osinbajo’s contributions to Nigeria’s development have been significant. Despite his many achievements, Osinbajo remains committed to serving Nigeria and upholding the rule of law.
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Keynote Speaker
PROFESSOR NIYI OSUNDARE
Title of Presentation: “Arimadake Eniogunyan: Wole Soyinka as Tireless Interventionist”.
Biodata: Nigerian poet, playwright, essayist, and scholar; he has authored over 20 books of poetry, two books of selected poems, four plays, two books of essays, and numerous scholarly monographs, articles and reviews. Among his literary prizes are the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Poetry Prize, the Cadbury/ANA Poetry Prize, the British Commonwealth Poetry Prize, the Noma Award (Africa’s most prestigious Book Award), the Tchicaya U Tam’si Award for African Poetry (generally regarded as “Africa’s highest poetry prize”), and the Fonlon/Nichols Award for “excellence in literary creativity combined with significant contributions to Human Rights in Africa”. His works have been translated into many languages, including Korean, French, Italian, Dutch, Slovenian, Serbian, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), the country’s highest Academy for the Humanities, and member of the Nigerian National Order of Merit, (NNOM), and Nigeria’s highest award for distinguished creative and intellectual achievement. Former Professor and Chair of the English Department, University of Ibadan, he is currently Emeritus Distinguished Professor of English, University of New Orleans, USA, and Visiting Professor at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
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PROFESSOR EMERITUS TUNDE ADENIRAN
Title of Presentation: “Matching Words with Action: Wole Soyinka In The Struggle For Democracy And Good Governance”.
Biodata: Since his voluntary retirement from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, after serving as Professor and Head of the Department of Political Science, Tunde Adeniran has been a politically exposed intellectual. He has served as Nigeria’s Minister of Education and the country’s Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary to the Federal Republic of Germany. Author of THE POLITICS OF WOLE SOYINKA he has, in addition to dozens of publications in his area of academic specialization, ventured into creative writing. Among his published poetry are FATE AND FAITH, LABYRINTHINE WAYS and BEYOND FINALITIES while his novels include THE FLAG BEARER and THE SHADOW IN OLD BURIED CITIES. Lately, apart from being the Pro – Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Ekiti State, Nigeria, he has been carrying out consultancy work on issues of security and governance at various levels while, on the side, conducting further research into the political essence of Soyinka’s unparalleled use of language.
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PROFESSOR OLU OBAFEMI:
Title of Presentation: “Moral Consciousness as the Imperative of Soyinka’s Socio- Spiritual Vision”.
Biodata: Prof Olu OBAFEMI, PhD Leeds, Fsonta, Fana, Fesan, FNAL, NNOM, D. Litt ( Hon.) Playwright, poet, novelist, biographer, translator, literary scholar, theatre director, columnist, and media consultant. He was President of the Association of Nigerian Authors and President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. He was Director of Research, National Insitute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), and former Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments. He is the immediate past Pro- Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, and the Current Pro- Chancellor of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Kogi State. He is on the Boards of Trustees of the Nigerian Media Merit Award, Association of Nigerian Authors, and Society of Nigerian Theatre Artists. He was the Sole Recipient of the 2018 Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) and in 2023 was conferred with the Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) Federal University of Lokoja and in June 2024 he received the Maiden Gold Award of UniAbuja.
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PROFESSOR AHMED YERIMA
Title of Presentation: “The Closet Masochist – the teacher and his student“
Biodata: Ahmed Yerima is a playwright, Play Director, Actor, Cultural Administrator, and Lecturer. He attended the University of Ife, University College, Cardiff, and the Royal Holloway College, University of London for his Doctorate degree. Presenly, he teaches at the Redeemer’s University where he serves as the Deputy Vice Chancellor. He was the Director-General of the National Theatre and National Troupe of Nigeria. He was also the Director-General of the Abuja Carnival. He has written and published over eighty plays and academic books and papers. He is also an award winning playwright. His play, Hard Ground won the 2006 Nigerian Prize for Literature. He presently serves on the Advisory Board of the NLNG Prize. And his recent plays are Aremu, Sanusi, and Sardauna. The Gadfly is his most recent creative work. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, (NAL) National Association of Nigerian Theater Arts Practitioners. (NANTAP) and Society of Nigerian Theatre Artists. (SONTA).
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PROFESSOR RAZINAT MOHAMMED
Title of Presentation: “The Man Wole Soyinka: A Deification”
Biodata: Razinat Talatu Mohammed, Professor of Feminist Literary Criticism, Theoretical Approaches and Creative Writing at the University of Abuja. She is the award winning author of A love Like a Woman’s and other Stories (2006). Her first novel, Habiba (2013), was a finalist for the ANA prize for prose 2014; she is also, the author of The Travails of a first Wife (Origami, 2015), A New Lie and Other Poems (2021)My Daughter, My Blood and other Stories( 2022), Intra-gender Relations between Women: A Study of Nawal El-Saadawi and Buchi Emecheta’s Novel (2012), Female Representation in Nigerian Literature www.africanwriter.com, she co-edited The Markas: An Anthology of Feelings on Boko Haram (2019), She is Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors (FANA) and Chief Adjudicator for the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) essays since 2013 among others. She was Resident Writer in El-Gouna, Egypt 2011, Two-Time Literary Judge for the prestigious NLNG Prize for Literature, Member Board of Trustee of Cultural SDG for Universities of Maiduguri, Nigeria, Cape Coast, Ghana and Hildesheim, Germany, Guest Writer at Afrofeminist Ecologies, Rutgers University, New Jersey (2022), Guest Writer Universitate Bonn, Germany (2023) and Resident Researcher at the Augsburg University, Germany (2023). She is currently, Head of Department English and Literary Studies, University of Abuja, Director University of Abuja Press and Chairman TETFund Academic Publication of the University of Abuja.
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PROFESSOR TANIMU ABUBAKAR
Title of Presentation: “Ogun at Home and Abroad: Soyinka’s Epistemes on Africa and the World”.
Biodata: Tanimu Abubakar is currently a Professor of Literature (with specialization in Literary Theory and Literary History} in the Department of English and Literary Studies, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He has been in the service of the University for 42 years (1982 to date) and has been a Professor since 2003 (21 years). In the discharge of his responsibility as a Senior Academic, Professor Abubakar has been involved in the Teaching of core graduate and post- graduate Courses and has successfully supervised over 30 Doctoral and 100 M.A Theses and Dissertations. He has also been on the Editorial Boards of as well as published in recognized Journals and has authored, co-authored and/or edited academic books. Professor Abubakar was born in Bukuru, Jos South L. G. A of Plateau State in 1957. He attended L. E. A Primary School, Kantoma (1967-1973) and Boys’ Secondary School, Gindiri (1973-1977) both in Mangu L. G. A. of Plateau State. Professor Abubakar obtained his university education in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria – B. A. English (Literature) in 1982, M. A English (Literature) in 1984 and PhD English (Literature) in 1988. In the course of his career as a Lecturer, Prof. Abubakar had undertaken additional academic/research activities in and outside Nigeria through Conferences, Workshops and Fellowships, especially in the UK and USA. He also was the Dean, Faculty of Art, the Dean, Students Affairs, and Member of the Governing Council of ABU and of a number of academic and Professional bodies. Apart from academic activities, Prof Abubakar has extensive involvement in Administration, Unionism and Civil Rights activities within Nigeria. Email addresses: [email protected], [email protected]
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PROFESSOR FLORENCE ORABUEZE
Title of Presentation: “Leaving Artistic Monuments: Prophetic and Haunting Echoes of Religious Predators and Fanatics in Wole Soynka’s The Jero Plays.”
Biodata: Florence Onyebuchi Orabueze is a Nigerian professor of English and literary studies, poet, and writer. She holds a PhD in English with a focus on African literature from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She has published over 20 books and articles, including “The Creative Writer as a Human Rights Activist” and “Society, Women and Literature in Africa”. She is a member of several academic associations, including the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), African Literature Association (ALA), Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN), Modern Languages Association of Nigeria (MLAN), and many more. She is also a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, and Society for Research and Academic Excellence. She has held various administrative positions at the University of Nigeria, including director of the Institute of African Studies and director of the University of Nigeria Press Ltd.
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PROFESSOR BEREKET SELASSIE
Title of Presentation: Africa’s Infinite Variety
Biodata: BEREKET SELASSIE is the William E. Leuchtenburg Distinguished Professor of African Studies and Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Also Fellow, Africa Academy of Sciences, Selassie is an Eritrean American scholar who has published widely on law, history politics, including Conflict and Intervention in the Horn of Africa (1980), Eritrea and the United Nations (1988), The Making of the Eritrean Constitution: The Dialectic of Process and Substance (2003), The Crown and The Pen: The Memoirs of a Lawyer Turned Rebel (2007) and two memoires. A man of all seasons who wears many hats comfortably, Dr. Selassie is a consummate teacher, respected scholar, novelist, playwright, a Pan-Africanist and an engaged activist-politician. He is a fierce nationalist who joined a revolutionary front to fight for Eritrea’s independence, going on to serve as Chairman (1994-1997) of the Constitutional Commission of the new nation. He has also served as senior advisor on constitutional reform in various countries including Nigeria, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo. After 24 exemplary years at UNC Chapel Hill, Professor Selassie retired in 2017. He continues his research and publications, and his novel Defiance was republished May of this year.
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