World Poetry Day: Soyinka, Providus Bank Remember Leah Sharibu, Deborah & Women

To commemorate World Poetry Day 2023, Providus Bank has kicked off its World Poetry Day with Wole Soyinka on Tuesday themed Restating Humanity with The Woman.

The event which focused on recentering humanity beginning with valuing, protection and liberation of women in global societies, witnessed the remembrance of students, Leah Sharibu who was abducted by boko haram insurgents, and Deborah who was burnt to death by her religious-fanatic peers.

In a performative poetry segment of the event’s opening ceremony, themed Ode to Leah Sharibu, six secondary school students rendered poems eulogizing Sharibu’s courage and calling for her liberation from captivity. Moved to tears during her performance for the teenager-turned-woman in the hands of her captors, student Abba Rosemary dubbed Sharibu “a woman of valor.”

Responding to the student, actress Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, said Sharibu was “not just a girl who stood up for Christianity, but a woman who stood up to men.” She urged young women and girls that in addition to self-care, they should also be aware of their responsibilities as mothers to raise responsible men, “boys who have a bit more decency, and carriage, and conscience to not abuse women, and to be able to control themselves.”

“Remember you run the world,” said the internationally acclaimed actress. “Never mind all that is going on or that people think it’s a patriarchal society. It is not. Please take your eyes off the shiny objects people are throwing at you and go for substance.”

Earlier in his speech, Soyinka had noted that the world had viewed humanity as a male phenomenon rather than a holistic one (comprising both male and female). He, in fact noted it hadn’t been that long ago that some European countries allowed its women voting rights. Hence, the theme ‘restating humanity with the woman’ is aimed at humanity retracing its steps to begin the new journey of including the neglected and oppressed part of the global society.

“Humanity is incomplete without women. Let the journey begin, not just here but all over the world.”

The event also marked the unveiling of the poetry anthology Journeys (40 poems from 4 Poetry Hubs in Lagos) focused on Migration: of Dislocation and Displacement. The anthology comprises poems by forty student poets from the Bariga Poets Collective, Poets In Nigeria (PIN), and LOUDTHOTZ, Ilupeju, Lagos, who participated in the workshop on Migration last year. It addresses mass migration of Nigerians – illegally or legally (owing to brain drain, Japa syndrome or conflicts), which exploded last year, and continued this year. The project was powered by Providus Bank to highlight the work of young and untapped poets.

Expressing her appreciation of the event, Ajai-Lycett commended the bank for crafting such a platform for young people, and the Nobel Laureate for “the leadership he gives to the arts.”

Meantime, culture advocate and master of ceremony, Jahman Anikulapo commended Segun Adefila, Eriata Eribabhor and Chisom Ohuaka, founders of the Bariga Poets Collective, PIN and Ilupeju whose young creatives contributed to the anthology.

“They deserve a big applause because without prompting, they started their own poetry hubs in different parts of Lagos.”