Evelyn Osagie: Culture comunity mourns as journalist, performance poet passes on

By Editor

THE Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW) and then entire cultural community have expressed deep sorrow over the passing of renowned journalist, performance poet, and cultural advocate, Evelyn Osagie, who worked on the Arts Desk of The Nation newspapers.

In a statement signed by the president of the society, Mr. Wole Adedoyin, members described her death as a huge loss to Nigeria’s literary and cultural community. osagie was a vibrant, upwardly mobile journalist whose passion for storytelling, advocacy, and the arts left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s media and cultural landscape. With a perceptive mind for creative details and an eye for images, she emerged as one of the country’s most dedicated voices on the arts and culture beat, where her work spanned over two decades.

Until her passing, Osagie served as a Senior Correspondent with The Nation newspaper in Lagos, Nigeria. Through her incisive reports, she amplified the voices of artistic collectives, while also shedding light on critical issues ranging from cultural advocacy to women’s and children’s rights, civil rights, and mental health. Her journalism was not just reportage but advocacy-driven conversations that inspired actions.

Born in Lagos and educated at the Department of English and Literature of the University of Benin, Benin City, Osagie nurtured a lifelong passion for poetry, photography, and the creative arts. Beyond her newsroom responsibilities, she immersed herself in poetry performances, creative writing, photographic storytelling and textile art. She carved out a distinctive niche in what she called “experiential poetry” — a genre that fused her journalistic precision with poetic imagination, giving her works a unique resonance.

Evelyn Osagie

Her literary journey was profoundly shaped by great mentors and inspirations. She enjoyed the mentorship of Professors JP and Ebun Clark, who fondly described her as a gifted storyteller. Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka also endorsed her poetry, a gesture that helped propel her career, as she was a regular performer at Providus Bank’s Poetry Cafe to which he is patron. She deeply admired writers and thinkers such as Prof. Festus Iyayi, Odia Ofeimun, Kunle Ajibade, Prof. Niyi Osundare, Prof. G.G. Darah, Prof. Femi Osofisan, and Mr. Lanre Idowu, among others, while treasuring her relationship with the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).

Among her most remarkable journalistic works was the story of Indian Ayuba, a young girl with a mentally challenged mother. Beginning in 2009, Osagie followed and documented her journey with rare empathy, giving voice to the voiceless and highlighting the resilience of children living under extraordinary circumstances.

Her outstanding contributions to journalism and advocacy earned her several recognitions, including the Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA) Beatrice Bassey Prize for Female Reporter of the Year in 2015. Yet, beyond awards and accolades, Osagie remained a humble and dedicated advocate for the less privileged, regularly lending her platform to NGOs, civil society organizations, and human rights campaigns. As an arts reporter, who is deeply embedded in the cultural scene, Osagie built was a bridge between Nigeria’s creative community and the wider public. She championed artists, writers, and performers in her work while simultaneously creating space for her own growth as a poet-performer. Her selflessness made her both a chronicler and participant in Nigeria’s cultural renaissance.

In her lifetime, Osagie often said her greatest joy was rubbing shoulders with the literary icons whose works shaped her. In turn, she became an inspiration to emerging voices in both journalism and literature. Her legacy lives on in her writings, poetry, photographs, and in the lives of countless people she touched with her creativity and compassion.

The Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW) remembers Osagie as a Culture/Arts Journalist, Writer, Poet-Performer, and Advocate — a rare blend of journalism, artistry and activism. Though gone too soon, her voice will continue to echo through the stories she told through performances, the verses she penned, and the lives she uplifted.