Aké 2025: A space dares us to think boldly, question bravely, imagine freely

By Donatus Okpako

DISTINGUISHED guests, esteemed writers, thinkers, artists, partners, and lovers of story, Good morning.

On behalf of MD/CEO, Sterling Bank, it is my honour to welcome you to the opening of the 13th edition of the Aké Arts and Book Festival, a space that has, for over a decade, dared us to think boldly, question bravely, and imagine freely.

This year’s theme, “Reclaiming Truth,” comes at a moment when the world feels increasingly unhinged from familiar realities. A time when truth, once an anchor, now competes with echoes, distortions, and deliberate misinformation. When the line between what is real and what is convenient often dissolves under the weight of digital noise. And when nations, including ours, are confronted with the urgent need to distinguish fact from fiction in order to build a future that stands on solid ground.

Yet, if there is any continent that understands the power and fragility of truth, it is Africa. For generations, truth has been contested on our soil, suppressed, rewritten, misrepresented, and at times stolen. And for generations, our storytellers have reclaimed it.

Today, we honour some of the giants who carried that torch, luminaries like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, whose passing earlier this year reminded us of the immense responsibility storytellers bear. Ngũgĩ taught us that narratives can liberate or imprison, that language is political, and that a people’s truth must never be outsourced. His foundational work, Weep Not, Child, remains a timeless lesson in how literature preserves memory even when history tries to forget.

This festival, graced by over 60 authors, brilliant thinkers and poets from 16 countries, is an invitation not just to consume ideas but to interrogate them. It calls us to reclaim truth not as a rigid artifact, but as a living force, one that demands honesty, courage, and vigilance.

For Nigerians, reclaiming truth is a lived reality and an ambition we must pursue. We grapple daily with narratives that obscure as much as they reveal about our economy, our institutions, our identity, and even our hopes. In a season of rising misinformation, policy fatigue, and social anxiety, truth becomes more than a moral ideal; it becomes a national resource.

This is why spaces like Aké where ideas breathe and perspectives collide are essential. They help us sharpen our discernment, strengthen our collective memory, and rebuild trust in our shared future.

At Sterling, reclaiming truth is a duty and a commitment. Our in-house developed core banking platform, SeaBaas, became our moment of truth. It was our opportunity to demonstrate that institutions can rebuild trust through competence, innovation, and courage. By successfully designing, executing, and deploying this platform, we reclaimed control of our technology, our processes, and ultimately, the truth of the value we offer to the public.

This achievement was not merely a technological milestone but the foundation that enabled us to transfer real benefits back to Nigerians. This year, empowered by the efficiency and transparency SeaBaas unlocked, we implemented Zero Transfer Fees and Zero Account Maintenance Fees initiatives.

These initiatives were not just marketing gestures. They were proof that when institutions embrace truth internally, through efficient systems, transparent processes, and customer-centered design, they can extend truth externally, in ways that materially improve people’s lives.

Our partnership with the Aké Arts & Book Festival, now spanning seven years, is deeply tied to our H-E-A-R-T strategy, particularly the Education pillar. We believe that literacy, creativity, and critical thinking form the bedrock of any society that hopes to rise above misinformation and reclaim its voice.

Through this festival, we have supported thousands of young African writers, readers, and dreamers who will shape tomorrow’s truths. And today, standing among the brightest of Africa’s cultural custodians, I am reminded that every page written, every poem performed, and every conversation held here contributes to the truth-project of our generation.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Aké 2025. May these conversations sharpen our minds, strengthen our integrity, and rekindle our belief in the power of authentic stories.

May we leave here not only entertained but awakened, ready to reclaim the truths that shape our world.

Thank you, and I wish you a transformative festival.

* Okpako, Sterling Bank Plc’s Chief Marketing Officer, presented this speech at the opening of the 13th edition of Ake Arts and Book Festival 2025 in Ikeja, Lagos