Wole Soyinka @90: Arojah Royal Theatre, NCC, Korea Cultural Centre celebrate ‘Kongi’s Harvest’ 2024 in Abuja
By Editor
AS Professor Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian writer, actor, director, activist, and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate (1986), attains the esteemed age of 90 on July 13, 2024, Arojah Royal Theatre, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), and Korean Cultural Centre are poised to celebrate this remarkable milestone as they join the global celebrations with the 2024 edition of Kongi’s Harvest, which was first hosted when Prof. Wole Soyinka turned 77 in 2011.
Incidentally, the first edition was hosted by Arojah Royal Theatre, Korean Cultural Centre, and National Institute for Cultural Orientation, under its then Executive Secretary, Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma. Arojah Royal Theatre has since hosted several other events annually to celebrate the literary icon.
Date for the celebration is Tuesday, July 16, 2024 from 2:00pm – 5:00pm at Korean Cultural Centre, 2nd Floor, Rivers House, Central Business District, Abuja. The event will be chaired by the Director-General, Nigerian Copyright Commission, Dr. John Asein, and has as theme ‘Wole Soyinka: The Messenger and His Messages’.
Highlights of the event include theme talks and panel sessions, Wole Soyinka themed performances and Abuja premiere of the documentary film Ebirohimie Road: The Museum of Memory. This documentary, produced and directed by Kola Tunbosun, chronicles the significance of a small bungalow on the University of Ibadan campus where Soyinka lived and was later arrested in 1967 for attempting to mediate the Nigerian Civil War. The film delves into Soyinka’s life, his arrest, imprisonment, and subsequent exile, highlighting the intersection of personal and national history. Featuring stories, visuals, and historical records, it reveals how a modest campus residence became a witness to pivotal moments in Nigerian history.
A statement from the Artistic Director, Om’Oba Jerry Adesewo, said confirmed guests include the keynote speaker and Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja, Prof. AbdulRaheed Na’Allah, writer and legal practitioner, Mr. Ahmed Maiwada, children’s author, Teresa Ameh, writer and former Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) president, Mallam Denja Abdullahi, Director, Centre for Wole Soyinka Studies, University of Abuja, Dr. Bode Ojoniyi and Korean writer, Sujin Lim. Other expected guests are former Chief of Army Staff and special guest of honour, Lt. Gen. (Amb.) T.Y. Buratai, Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr. Charles Odili, Director-General of National Council for Arts & Culture, Mr. Obi Asika, Director-General of Centre for Black African Arts and Culture (CBAAC), Hon. Aisha Augie, Deputy British High Commissioner, Ambassador Gill Lever, and Deputy Brazilian Ambassador, Joao Soares Marcelo, among others.
