Soyinka At 90: Abiodun Awards Scholarships To Best Student Essayists

Ogun State government has awarded scholarships to nine students who performed well in an essay competition to mark the 90th birthday celebration of the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.

At yesterday’s 2024 edition of the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange Programme, held at Prof. Soyinka’s ARI residence, Ijegba, Abeokuta, Governor Dapo Abiodun said the participants would also be given a laptop each for their efforts.

Governor Abiodun emphasised this gesture to encourage the beneficiaries to keep writing and motivating other students to participate in the competition’s next edition.

While describing the Nobel laureate as the most celebrated black African who has excelled in his chosen career, Prince Abiodun said as the key to bringing about change and prosperity in Nigeria and around the world, it is imperative to engage the youths and ensure that their thinking and goals are oriented toward progress for the motherland and humanity.

He said the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) was established to honour the legacy and reflects Prof. Soyinka’s lifelong commitment to education, cultural exchange, and in nurturing future leaders, adding that the initiative underscores his values, which include justice, freedom, and the pursuit of excellence in the arts and humanities.

According to Governor Abiodun, this year’s theme, “Engaging National Interest on Good Governance, Understanding Nation-Building (ENIOGUN),” encapsulates Soyinka’s profound commitment to creating a just and equitable world.

The WSICE consists of three aspects: essay competition, advocacy, and performing arts, which include poetry, drama, and spoken word.

The governor said, “We celebrate a project that, for over 14 years, has upheld his ideals and vision. Undoubtedly, the Nobel Laureate has optimally utilised the inherent values and wisdom of African culture and tradition in his global engagement as a world citizen of African descent.

“The mission and underlying objectives of WSICE are clear and commendable. They seek to create unity among mankind regardless of nationality, culture, or religion by focusing on youth as the future of humanity, in line with the thoughts and guiding principles of Professor Wole Soyinka.”

The project, Abiodun said, is designed to serve as a beacon, illuminating the path for future thinkers passionate about the progress and betterment of humanity, pledging that the State would take ownership of the event to make it international.

Answering questions from the children about his life experiences over the past 90 years, Soyinka said he did not envisage living to be 90, adding that he decided to be a writer to correct some anomalies in stories he listened to as a child.

On why he broke into a radio station during the military era, the literary icon said, “I never broke into a radio station, but sneaked in. The radio station was holding on to something that belonged to the people, and I decided to retrieve it. If that item had been played, it would have demoralised the people and established the culture of brutality.”

About 383 students participated in the competition; 90 were chosen, while nine were selected. Alabi Oluwanifemi emerged as the best essayist, Okoye Collins John came second, and Adebusi Adeoluwa was third.