Ife Book & Art Festival hails LABAF as culture feast begins on Monday, November 10

By Editor

IFE Book and Arts Festival Trust has felicitated with the Lagos Book & Arts Festival (LABAF), describing it as Africa’s most resilient and longest-running literary and cultural gathering. It will be recalled that LABAF was initiated in 1999, 16 years after the collapse of the old ‘Ife Book Fair’ in 1982 that was the renowned literary capital of Africa. LABAF is arguably one of the earliest attempts to fill the huge lacuna left behind in the Nigerian literary landscape after the collapse of the old Ife Book Fair. The Nigerian International Book Fair, which is another institutional initiative in that regard, was to follow in 2001.

According to a statement issued by the organisers, Committee for Relevant Arts (CORA) returns with LABAF’s 27th edition from November 10 to 16, 2025, at Freedom Park, Lagos Island. This year’s festival, themed ‘Change: Imagining Alternatives’, marks a special milestone as it celebrates 20 years of the Green Festival — a platform dedicated to nurturing creativity, consciousness, and environmental responsibility among children and young people.

Organized by the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), with partners such as Freedom Park Lagos and the Network of Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters (NBRP) making inputs, LABAF 2025 promises an inspiring convergence of writers, artists, thinkers, and innovators committed to exploring how art, literature, and technology can drive social and cultural transformation in Africa.

The week-long celebration will feature book readings, literary fairs, art exhibitions, performances, film screenings, and workshops, alongside vibrant youth-focused activities such as the Green Festival for Children and Pupils and the CORA Youth Creative Club. Attendees will also enjoy rich conversations, networking sessions, and art parties that reflect the dynamic spirit of Lagos’ creative community.

Speaking on this year’s edition, the organizers emphasized that LABAF 2025 is not just an arts festival but a movement — “a collective effort to imagine and construct better alternatives for our societies through knowledge, creativity, and collaboration.”

As Africa and the world navigate times of rapid change, LABAF 2025 calls on citizens, creators, and changemakers to reimagine the future — through storytelling, innovation, and purposeful dialogue.

For updates and participation details, visit lagosbookandartsfestival.com or follow @labaf1 on social media.