Agbaja-Plateau Writers’ Residency to foster creativity and culture
* Operation commences mid-year 2025
By Godwin Okondo
THE former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and retired Federal Director of Culture, Mallam Denja Abdullahi, has announced plans to establish a writers’ residency in his ancestral community of Agbaja, Kogi State. The proposed Agbaja-Plateau Writers’ Residency, which will also accommodate artists and researchers, is designed as a retreat for creative minds seeking solitude and inspiration from nature.
Abdullahi revealed that the idea of the residency had been on his mind since 2018, when his book Death and the King’s Grey Hair was a finalist for The Nigeria Prize for Literature.
According to Abdullahi, “In the build-up to the announcement of the winner, the film crew from NLNG who were in my house in Abuja asked me what I would do with the prize sum if I should win. I readily told them I would build a writers’ residency in my village.”
He further explained that at a certain stage in a man’s life, giving back to the community and professional circles becomes a priority, adding, “I see a writers’ residency as a way of giving back to two communities: my professional community and my ancestral community.”
He stated that the residency, which is being developed in collaboration with his siblings, would be located in their reconstructed family house on the Agbaja Plateau, about 20 kilometres from Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State.
“It is conceived to host writers, artists, and even researchers in the humanities who need solitude and an inspiring physical environment to think and write,” he said. He emphasized that while writers’ residencies provide creative spaces for artists, his vision extends beyond individual productivity to fostering a deeper appreciation for rural life with its therapeutic, idyllic, touristic and cultural heritage.
Mallam Denja Abdullahi
While acknowledging that there are already a few writers’ residencies in Nigeria, Abdullahi stressed the need for more when he noted, “The more residencies we have, the better for creative practitioners,” adding that in other countries, residencies receive corporate and foundation grants, which enable them to flourish. “No residency can be exactly like the other; they all have their peculiarities and differing objectives. The common thread is the provision of a retreat for the incubation and exposition of creativity.”
He highlighted the role of residencies in shaping literary and artistic culture, explaining that they allow creators to step away from daily distractions and immerse themselves in their work.
On what would make his residency different, the author of Mairogo: A Buffoon’s Poetic Journey Across Northern Nigeria said, “The difference or the niche I would want this proposed residency to have is the emphasis on communing with nature as an enabler of deep thinking and creativity. It is conceived to be a ‘retreat-to-the-woods’ kind of residency,” describing his native Agbaja as “one of the most historical and geographically iconic parts of Nigeria,” yet one that remains understated, undervalued and under-appreciated. He expressed hope that the residency would draw attention to the region’s cultural significance while providing a nurturing space for writers.
It would be recalled that Lokoja was once the capital of colonial Nigeria. The unique natural endowment of the land around Lokoja and Kogi State generally is the Confluence of the two greatest rivers in Nigeria – Benue and Niger – that form a sort of amalgam and centrality.
Abdullahi noted that the residency would foster engagement with the local community, encouraging residents to interact with its cultural life and their pictureque environment for its tourism value.
“One thing further I will like the residency to ultimately achieve is to encourage deeper creative insights into the histories, lives, peoples and communities of central Nigeria in which the residency is located,” he said, adding that the residency would be affiliated with institutions such as the Federal University, Lokoja, and other local and foreign organizations for visibility and sustainability.
Describing Agbaja’s natural appeal, he said, “First-time visitors to my community have always found it breathtaking. It is topographically located on a plateau, the climb up the hill towards it is picturesque, and the flatland finally encountered is most reassuring. The weather is cool all year round, like the Jos-Plateau, and the surrounding flora and fauna, forests, savannahs, valleys, and hills are most conducive for contemplation and creativity.”
He highlighted other attractions, including waterfalls, springs, and historical landmarks such as Lord Lugard’s Rest House. “It is in this place that the proposed residency is situated, and from there, one can take a short dash to Lokoja to experience the confluence of the Niger and the Benue and the many firsts of Nigerian colonial history and heritage.”
On funding, Abdullahi acknowledged the challenges, noting that many artistic residencies in Nigeria operate on limited budgets. “Most residencies in Nigeria are self-funded by writers who founded them, whom you cannot call wealthy people or philanthropists by any means,” he said. He cited examples of some that had shut down due to lack of funding and others that had scaled down operations. “Programming is not the problem, but funding the all-expense-paid participation of residents is the issue,” he said, noting that the Agbaja-Plateau Writers’ Residency would begin operations in mid-2025 through self-funding by him and his siblings, with plans to seek corporate and institutional support for long-term sustainability. Importantly and for sustainability, he said, “We will also not bite more than we can chew at the moment.”
Abdullahi underscored the importance of residencies in fostering creativity, describing them as “a primary support structure for creativity. You need a safe place, an environment devoid of worldly worries to create. You need a kind of isolation to create and think along as you do that. All those are enabled by residencies.”
He urged governments, corporations and philanthropists to support writers’ residencies, saying, “Foundations, high-net-worth individuals, corporations and government agencies should therefore be interested in promoting creativity by supporting existing residencies and assisting in establishing others.”
Speaking on how residencies contribute to community development, Abdullahi cited examples of existing residencies in Nigeria that involve residents in community engagement, such as teaching creative skills to local students. “That is a very good idea which I hope to include in the proposed residency,” he said. He added that his residency would encourage residents to interact with local culture and historical sites. However, he noted that the short duration of many Nigerian residencies due to funding constraints limits their impact. “In other climes, a residency can be three months, six months, and even a year with the kinds of support they receive,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of community involvement in sustaining residencies, adding, “The sustainable way for residencies is for communities to own them. The communities should contribute to the sustenance of the residencies through provisioning for residents, ensuring their safety and comfort in the residencies.”
With valuable insight on yhe challenges residencies face, Abdullahi has called for a shift in how residencies are perceived, arguing that they should be regarded as cultural investments rather than personal projects. That way both those who set them up, the community in which they are situated, government and the wider society should be involved in their sustainability, as the fruits of residencies have farreaching inplmications for the overall health of society.
Abdullahi referenced an apt anecdot from his community that reflects its tradition of hospitality:
Agbaja: Gbonojo Ma Gbolule
Agbaja which welcomes the stranger
With warm bosom of hospitality
But tell those of the soil
To rest on the hard edge of reality.
“This shows that in my community, guests and visitors, including the expected residents, will be received warmly and treated as part of the community,” he said. He expressed confidence that the residency would not only benefit writers and artists but also contribute to the cultural and intellectual development of Agbaja and its surroundings.
Agbaja-Plateau Writers Residency building
