Caption: Owoicho Oko (left); Evelyn Osagie; Prof. Wole Soyinka admiring a framed ‘Ori Agbe’ poem by Akeem Lasisi; Uche Uwadinachi; Lasisi and Managing Director/CEO of ProvidusBank Plc, Mr. Walter Akpani also admiring the framed poem in Soyinka’s honour
WS arriving with his wife Folake: Photo: TAIWO OLUSOLA-JOHNSON (TOJ Concept)
…this year, Prof. Wole Soyinka turns 90. We are delighted to kick-start what I know will be an elaborate plan to mark the milestone for someone who is a mentor to many, an icon, a global citizen and a humanist. Thank you for the legacy that you have created for this and future generations
MARCH 21 is globally celebrated as World Poetry Day as declared by UNESCO in 1999 to “promote the reading, writing, publishing, and teaching of poetry throughout the world,” and to “give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional, and international poetry movements.” And on March 21, 2024, as has been celebrated in the past four years, a national poetry movement of sorts may well have been firmly established with ‘ProvidusBank World Poetry Day Café: An Evening with Wole Soyinka’ that held for the fifth year and is steadily inserting itself into Nigeria’s literary consciousness, where poets and its lovers gather to enjoy poetry undiluted. This year was no exception as six local and three international poetry acts converged on the Banquet Hall of Eko Hotel and Suites to thrill poetry lovers, with the Managing Director and CEO of ProvidusBank Plc, Mr. Walter Akpani playing host to Prof. Wole Soyinka, among other dignitaries who attended.
Titled ‘Engaging the Quintessential Poet @90’, the celebration was woven around the person of Africa’s first black Nobel laureate in Literature, Soyinka, who will turn 90 on July 13, 2024. Masterfully curated by the Executive Director of Culture Advocates Caucus (CAC), Mr. Jahman Anikulapo, the nine poets took turns to serenade the audience both with pieces from Soyinka’s latest poetry collection, Selected Poems (1965 – 2022): A Retrospective 2023 and their personal poems that addressed varied experiences that speak to the human condition. An art exhibition on Soyinka was also on display and flanked both sides of the entrance to the hall, from his childhood to the present. But this was after the bank’s MD/CEO, Mr. Akpani, had welcomed his special guest and the audience.
Akpani expressed pleasure for the privilege “to have the leadership and mentorship of Prof. Wole Soyinka. The minute we shared our desire for him to be the patron poet and mentor of this event, he graciously gave his nod and has since then participated quite passionately in all the editions to give guidance on the direction of every event. In fact, it has become a permanent calendar for him.
“Every year since 2019 when we hosted the first edition in our cramped banking hall at the ProvidusBank Head Office on Adetokunbo Ademola Street, we have invited poets, both young and old, to give poetic interpretations to different issues that affect our world. We only missed 2020, when we cancelled just a day before the event, due to the lockdown imposed because of the global Covid-19 pandemic. We have not missed a year since then.”
The bank chief said he was happy that this year’s celebration was two-pronged, as “his bank supports literature,” adding, This year’s event is special for two reasons. The first is that this will be the fifth year of this celebration of ProvidusBank’s support for literature via World Poetry Day. The second reason is that this year, Prof. Wole Soyinka turns 90. We are delighted to kick-start what I know will be an elaborate plan to mark the milestone for someone who is a mentor to many, an icon, a global citizen and a humanist. Thank you for the legacy that you have created for this and future generations.
“This edition of the ProvidusBank World Poetry Day celebration is packed with talents. We have some returnee poets. By that I mean those who have graced the event before. We also have in our midst notable poets from Kenya, Abu Dhabi, United Kingdom and the United States of America. I welcome all of you to our warm and hospitable country and we look forward to seeing you on stage as we engage the quintessential poet at 90. I must also thank those who have always honoured our invitation every year. At this point, I think it is important to go to straight to why we are here today – the feast of words. Please enjoy the performances.”
Journalist and performer, Evelyn Osagie, kicked off proceedings with the performance of Soyinka’s ‘A Humanist Ode for Chibok, Leah’ by reenacting the travail of a besieged community, some of its unlucky families like Leah Sharibu and all those who lost their daughters to the lust-crazed and mentally deranged insurgents who abduct young girls to satisfy their mental disorientation. Leah and her co-travellers fell into the hands of the insurgents, and their fate has since become the symbol of all stolen humanities that must be brought back safely to their families and loved ones. The performance careened to a moment the insurgents are vanquished for the safe return of all stolen girls and women to the collective joy of humanity. Osagie also modelled her ‘Death at Dusk – Death is the Dawn’ after Soyinka’s poem of similar title ‘Death in the Dawn’.
Then followed Owo Icho Oko, who, like Osagie, also first paid homage to the master by performing Soyinka’s ‘Twelve Canticles for the Zealot’, which is very much in keeping with Soyinka’s view of faiths that attempt to compel others to join their fold instead of leaving others be. Oko also performed ‘Ujamma’. In the two performances, Oko held aloft two parts of a calabash as one on a mission of atonement to whatever implacable powers that oppress humanity for their whimsical fantasy.
And then Kenya’s Mgwatilo Mawiyoo stepped up to perform ‘Ujaama’, and showed her vocal prowess that carried clear, and deployed maximum use of body movement to pass and amplify her message. Her second performance titled ‘The Child Before the Mirror of Strangers’ was another of Soyinka’s pieces, just as Uche Uwadinachi went on the lyrical love lane with ‘Her Joy is Wild’ and ‘Night’ and had a female human prop on stage to whom he performed his love pieces. Salamatu Sule did ‘In the Small Hours’ and ‘Procession Hanging Day I’, and took time to give a background review of the pieces.
British Malika Booker (of Guyanese and Grenadian parentage) looked inward as a woman and performed ‘To One in Labour’, ‘I Anoint My Flesh’ and ‘An Anthem to Humanism’. She also spoke about the power of language in shaping poetic thought. And then Ruth Mahogany took the floor. If there was a poetic contest on the night, Mahogany would perhaps have taken it judging by the sheer exuberance of cheers that greeted her performance of ‘A Child Before a Mirror of Strangers’, ‘You Look at Me’ and ‘Civilian and Soldier’. She performed with the accompaniment of background, sombre music. She was indeed a breath of natural poetic freshness that helped to brighten the night.
Then came the master of Yoruba folk performance Akeem Lasisi, who then also raised the bar when he entered with a chant, as is his custom. His contemplative poetry that reflects on man’s condition, as it summons nature imageries to amplify it, was all too resonant on the night. Lasisi also had the talking drum for his accompaniment and made it seem like a gathering of communal bards calling everyone to a feast of words at the village square. From ‘In the Spirit of Bringer of Peace’, to ‘A Humanist Ode for Chibok, Leah’ and ‘The Savages Are Back in the Sacred Zone,’ Lasisi plumbed the depth of joys and travails with an affirmation of the indomitable human spirit that would eventually prevailing.
America’s Nathaniel Handal read from Soyinka’s Selected Poems (1965 – 2022):
A Retrospective in the classical fashion devoid of the spoken word fad, but which gave the poems the rhythmic timbre that carried their intended meaning and nuances. It was a joy to listen to her read and amplify the voice and spirit of the writer.
And to wrap up proceedings, Lasisi and his collaborator Edaoto did ‘Ori Agbe for Soyinka’ piece with three dancers in the classic Yoruba praise chant, of the worthiness of the Quintessential Poet who will be 90 years old on July 13, 2024. It was a moving praise poem that got Soyinka to his feet and to the podium, where he humorously chided everyone to wait for his actual birthday date before celebrating, or as he rhetorically asked: ‘Is it your birthday?’ which elicited laughter, and he promptly went on to wish everyone a happy birthday!
Other dignitaries that attended the World Poetry Day celebration included Dr. Newton Jibunoh, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Chief Erelu Dosumu, Dr. Patrick Oloko, Dr. Tunji Sotimirin, Mr. Segun Adefila, Mr. Eriata Oribhabor, Dr. Sam Dede, among others.
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Profiles of the ProvidusBank World Poetry Day Cafe performers
UCHE UWADINACHI
A BROADCASTER, performance poet and the author of poetry collections, “SCAR in the HEART of pain”, Uche is the 1st Prize winner of ANA Poetry- LAPOFEST- 2006; 2nd winner, Ken Saro-Wiwa Poetry Prize, USA- 2010; 2nd runner-up National Poetry Slam, Abuja – 2012; 1st prize winner (March) of Poetry African Street writer – 2013; Spoken word Poet of the Year Nigerian Writers Award – 2016 . Also winner of the Humanitarian Reporter of the Year 2018 (For Peace and Conflict Resolution), Uche performed at the maiden Providus Bank World Poetry Day event in 2019. He is currently a broadcast producer with METRO977FM. FB: Uche Uwadinachi | IG: Uche Uwadinachi Tw: Uche Uwadinachi
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SALAMATU SULE
POET, social commentator and book reviewer, Salamatu has been published in several anthologies and was given a mention in a Monograph titled Invoking Flora Nwapa: Nigerian Women Writers, Feminity and Spirituality in World Literature by Paula Uimonen. A fellow of the Ebedi International Writers Residency and Soyinka Foundation Study in Lebanon SAIL, she is the founder of Fahimta Literary Discourse (FLD) and has two published works: Oma, The Drummer Queen (Children’s Literature, 2017) and Orchestra of Her Last Rites (Poetry), shehas held Diplomatic Book Discourse with the German, French, and Hungarian Embassy, sand has moderated several educational programmes with the Secondary Education Board on Read Campaign under the Association of Nigerian Authors. She recently moderated a National Dialogue on Education focusing on Investment in Nigeria’s Education. FB: Salamatu Sule | Tw: @Mssalamatu | IG: iamsalamatusule
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EVELYN OSAGIE
WITH over two decades of performing poetry/spoken word on stage, Evelyn mixes performance with elements of folklore, myths, songs; and sometimes employs masks, drum rhythms, music and dance to express her poetic thoughts. Known on stage as ‘Evelyn D’Poet, she has performed her poems and those of others at diverse artistic events/festival in Abuja, Lagos, Edo, Oyo, Ogun states: such as Lagos Book & Arts Festival (LABAF), Lagos Black Heritage Festival, WORDSLAM, etc. She has also featured at events by the United States Consulate, Lagos, German Embassy in Lagos, National Theatre, Johnson Jakande Tinubu (JJT) Park, Bogobiri Art Hotel, MUSON Centre, etc. Aside being a poet/ performer and artist, she is a journalist currently with The Nation newspaper and the host of Chat with Evelyn TV Show.
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AKEEM LASISI
RENOWNED for his ability to spontaneously deliver poems on various subjects, Lasisi’s craft-mark is the ease with which he switches from Yoruba to English forms and vice-versa. Two of his collections of poems, IREMOJE: Ritual Poetry for Ken Saro-Wiwa and Night of my Flight, won the Association of Nigerian Authors/CADBURY Poetry Prize. He is also the author of Right Option English (a textbook) and Goodness and Messi (a collection of jokes). Also the publisher of Phenomenal.com.ng, Tutor for Phenomenal English and a columnist with The PUNCH, Lasisi has produced six musical poetry albums: Post Mortem, Ori Agbe, Wonderland (Eleleture), Udeme, (Constituency Project), Comforti; and poetic tributes to prominent people and institutions, a project that recently gave birth to his annual AFRICAN CITATIONS exhibition. He co-authored Phenomenal Lagos, a textual, photographic and poetic celebration of 50 monuments in Lagos State, the audios and videos of which are currently being produced. IG: akeemlasisi01 | FB: Akeem Lasisi
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OCHO OKO OWI
FOUNDER and team lead of Afrika-Writes, former Creative Director for Benue Poetry Troupe, and Programmes Manager, SEVHAGE, Ocho is an award-winning poet, performance artist, and scholar. He was longlisted for the Nigerian Student Poetry Prize (2017), earned an NSPP Award of Excellence (2018) for his poem “Zeyani,” and was the second prize winner of the Korea Nigeria Poetry Prize (2018). His published poetry collections are We Will Sing Water, and Now I Sing God into Stones. He is the current Creative Director for Abuja Poetry, and his forthcoming coming critical book is Culture, Coloniality, and the African Being. FB: Oko Owi Ocho Afrika | Tw: @OkoOwoicho1 | IG: @okoowiochoafrika
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RUTH MAHOGANY
AN artiste recognised for her profound spoken word poetry and captivating music performances with a focus on conscious storytelling, Ruth works with organisations and individuals to articulate complex themes through media campaigns and art exhibitions. Among the notable organisations she has worked with are the United Nations Population Fund, focusing on Girl Child Education; Amnesty International, addressing Human Rights and Free Speech. Among awards she has won is the Ned Nwoko Antarctica ‘War Against Malaria’ Campaign Prize in 2021. She was one of the winners of the Vis-a-Vis 12th Edition by Casa Africa in 2023, earning her the opportunity to tour and showcase her music and poetry in Spain along with ARB Music Band. She authored the 28 poems of Abuja Buildings book by Susa Garrido and has an expanding discography on streaming platforms. IG: @ruthmahogany | Tw: @ruthmahogany
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INTERNATIONAL GUESTS
NATHALIE HANDAL
DESCRIBED as a “contemporary Orpheus,” Nathalie is the author of ten award-winning books, translated into 15 languages, including Life in a Country Album, winner of the Palestine Book Award; and The Republics, lauded as “one of the most inventive books by one of today’s most diverse writers,” winner of the Virginia Faulkner Award for Excellence in Writing and the Arab American Book Award. Her work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Guernica, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Nation, and The Irish Times. She is the recipient of awards from the PEN Foundation, Lannan Foundation, Fondazione di Venezia, Centro Andaluz de las Letras, Africa Institute, and featured at the United Nations for Outstanding Contributors in literature. She is a professor at New York University-AD, and writes the literary travel column, “The City and the Writer” for Words without Borders magazine. IG: @nathaliephandal. | Tw: nathaliephandal
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MALIKA BOOKER
A BRITISH poet of Guyanese and Grenadian parentage, and co-founder of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen (A writer’s collective), Malika recently published the anthology – Two Young, Two Black, Too Different, Poems from Malika’s Poetry Kitchen to celebrate Malika Poetry Kitchen’s 20-year anniversary. Her pamphlet Breadfruit, (flippedeye, 2007) received a Poetry Society recommendation and her poetry collection Pepper Seed (Peepal Tree Press, 2013) was shortlisted for the OCM Bocas prize and the Seamus Heaney Centre 2014 prize for first full collection. She is published with the Poets Sharon Olds and Warsan Shire in The Penguin Modern Poet Series 3: Your Family: Your Body (2017). Booker and Shara McCallum recently co-edited the issue of Stand Journal curating an anthology of poems by African American, Black British, & Caribbean Women & Identifying Writers. A Cave Canem Fellow, and inaugural Poet in Residence at The Royal Shakespeare Company, Malika was awarded the Cholmondeley Award (2019) for outstanding contribution to poetry and elected a Royal Society of Literature Fellow (2022). She is the first woman to win the Forward Prize for Best Single poem twice: The Little Miracles (2020) and Libation (2023). She is a lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. Tw: @malikabooker | malikabooker.com
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NGWATILO MAWIYOO
POET, filmmaker, and performer, Ngwatilo Mawiyoo is the author of two chapbooks, Blue Mothertongue and Dagoretti Corner and the EP album Introducing Ngwatilo. She is an interdisciplinary story-maker working to forge paths to joy and freedom, primarily through poetry, film and performance, Her poems appear in local and international magazines such as Down River Road, Transition, Johannesburg Review of Books, Obsidian, Wasafiri, The Malahat and elsewhere. Twice nominated for the Brunel University African Poetry Prize and the Pushcart Prize, Ngwatilo is a recipient of multiple international residencies and grants for her scholarship, and a regular guest at international literary festivals and conferences. Ngwatilo made her debut as a writer/director in 2021 with her short film, Joy’s Garden. The film was selected to screen at over a dozen film festivals around the world and received five nominations at Kenya’s national film awards. Her forthcoming short is a trilingual magical realism drama. Ngwatilo holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. She lives in Nairobi. IG: @ngwatilo |Tw: @ngwatilo
The Curator/Compere, Jahman Anikulapo, Exec Prog Director, Culture Advocates Caucus
When 9 poets ‘Engaged the Quintessential Poet @90’ on World Poetry Day 2024
