ANA demands government’s recognition, expresses concern over hardship, others at convention 2024
By Anote Ajeluorou
AFTER many years of not being heard on the national stage due to internal political wrangling, there seems to be a ray of light on the horizon with the new executive of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) that came into office last year. The association was founded in 1981 by the venerable Chinua Achebe and some of his fellow writers of the day to provide an umbrella body for Nigerian writers to flourish. In a communique signed by the duo of the General Secretary Dame Joan Oji, PhD and the President Usman Oladipo Akanbi, PhD and issued two weeks after its 2024 annual convention in Abuja, the writers have demanded that government recognise writers for the important roles they play as chief promoters of Nigerian arts and culture and the country’s image-makers at the global arena.
The association’s demand is particularly instructive as Nigerian writers have virtually written the country’s name in gold at the global stage, serving as preeminent cultural ambassadors. However, government pays scant attention to them in spite of playing crucial roles in the cultural and educational sectors. The case of writers is made worse perhaps by government’s poor understanding of what writers represent and where to place them – whether in the ministry of arts and culture or education. This confusion has not only persisted, but has kept denying writers their deserved due from government.
While the ministry of arts and culture finds it easy to associate with filmmakers, visual artists, theatre practitioners, fashion makers and musicians, it ever so often forgets that writers and perhaps publishers should also be at the same table where important national culture conversation takes place. It was primarily why writers did not get a mention in Mr. Lai Mohammed’s phantom Covid-19 palliatives that was promised but which nobody got in the creative community.
So that while theatre practitioners have the National Theatre as putative home, visual artists have the National Gallery of Arts (NGA) and National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) as homes built for exhibiting their works by government and cinema practitioners have the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Film and Videos Censors Board (NFVCB), there is no such edifice or recognition for the patronage of writers. The National Library of Nigeria (NLN) that ought to be writers’ home under the ministry of education only collects published books from them and gives them nothing in return. The absence of a National Culture Policy that ought to make provisions for grants and other funding incentives for culture workers including writers is yet to be in place.
A roll call of ANA elders: Prof. Olu Obafemi (left); Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo; Dr. May Ifeoma Okoye; Prof. Maria Ajima and Prof. Femi Osofisan at ANA Convention 2024… in Abuja
These deficiencies have persisted in spite of the monumental contributions writers have made to Nigeria’s cultural landscape. The only government’s patronage writers have enjoyed is the landed property they got from one of their own who once served in government, a soldier-writer, Major-General Mamman Vatsa for whom the writers’ village at Mpape, Abuja is named after. It’s a true testament to self-development efforts that writers, who often see themselves as orphans in government’s reckoning, were able to make, thus creating for themselves a home when government would not look their way.
Among the demands in the writers’ communique included acknowledging the federal government’s efforts to revamp the economy but the association expressed concerns about the resulting hardship, and called on government to “employ innovative solutions to curb rising inflation, address insecurity, particularly kidnapping and banditry, prioritise road maintenance over new road construction, improve power, energy, education, healthcare, and other critical infrastructure and strengthen the anti-graft and consumer-protection policies to curb widespread corruption.”
The communique further stated that “by advocating for these changes, Congress reaffirms its commitment to promoting Nigerian literature and culture, while also contributing to the country’s socio-economic development,” also stating that “the General Congress of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) understands the need to work towards a better ANA worthy of the founding fathers’ dreams and will not relent in toeing the path of progress in the days ahead.”
The communique also read in part, “The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), a community of creative writers, academics, and literary enthusiasts, came together for its 2024 annual convention — a resounding success—, re-uniting members from across 26 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory in a relaxed atmosphere of camaraderie and networking. This latest milestone is a testament to our collective efforts, driven by the shared vision of ANA’s founding fathers.”
In his opening address, the association’s President Dr. Usman Oladipo Akanbi highlighted the achievements of the current National Executive Council (NEC) of ANA which came to office a year ago to include “holding a Strategic Retreat for New Executives in December 2023, holding the Annual Meeting of State Chapters’ Chairpersons and Secretaries in Ilorin in March 2024, achieving the 2024 Yusuf-Ali Literary Campaign for the year under review, co-organizing the Inaugural World Organisation of Writers (WOW) Congress in April 2024, sustaining the Mbari Series discourse, celebrating Professor Wole Soyinka’s 91th birthday, achieving the Literary Boot Camp for selected Abuja secondary cchool students in August 2024 and achieving a ceamless coordination of the Chinua Achebe Literary Prize (CALP). Others include providing support for chapters, literary organisations and individual writers, providing Effective Secretariat Administration and providing effective maintenance of the writers’ village environment.”
Among the proposed initiatives that will benefit its members that were announced included The Ken Saro-Wiwa International Residency Programme, The Fourth Nigerian Writers Series Project and revitalising ANA Creative Arts and Film Institute. And to achieve its vision, ANA acknowledged the vital roles of its units, declaring the compartmentalisation of roles, indicating that “the Board of Trustees should perform accountability and oversight functions, that the College of Fellows should perform advisory roles – strategic guidance and expertise through mentorship, literary awards, publishing, retreats, and advocacy, that the National Executive Council should carry out the daily operations and running of the association, that the state chapters’ chairpersons should co-ordinate regional activities, fostering grassroots growth, and ensuring effective communication between National and State offices and congress also addressed its Constitution Review, focusing on electoral reforms and the election of Fellows.”
An innovative addition to the Mamman Vatsa Writers Village: Sen. Shehu Sanni (left) and ANA President Usman Akanbi, PhD standing behind the Ken Saro-Wiwa Writers’ Residency, Mpape, Abuja
