Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde "Wole" Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature for his "wide cultural perspective and... poetic overtones fashioning the drama of existence", the first sub-Saharan African to be honoured in that category.
Death and the King's Horseman is a play by Wole Soyinka based on a real incident that took place in Nigeria during the colonial era: the horseman of a Yoruba King was prevented from committing ritual suicide by the colonial authorities. In addition to the intervention of the colonial authorities, Soyinka calls the horseman's own conviction toward suicide into question, posing a problem that throws off the community's balance.
Lagos Island is the principal and central Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos, Nigeria. It was the capital of Lagos State until 1957. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian census, the LGA had a population of 209,437 in an area of 8.7 km2. The LGA only covers the western half of Lagos Island; the eastern half is simply referred to as Lagos Island East LCDA.
Nigerian literature may be roughly defined as the literary writing by citizens of the nation of Nigeria for Nigerian readers, addressing Nigerian issues. This encompasses writers in a number of languages, including not only English but Igbo, Urhobo, Yoruba, and in the northern part of the county Hausa and Nupe. More broadly, it includes British Nigerians, Nigerian Americans and other members of the African diaspora.
Babafemi Adeyemi Osofisan, known as Femi Osofisan or F.O., is a Nigerian writer noted for his critique of societal problems and his use of African traditional performances and surrealism in some of his plays. A frequent theme that his drama explore is the conflict between good and evil. He is a didactic writer whose works seek to correct his decadent society. He has written poetry under the pseudonym Okinba Launko.
Francis Agu was a Nigerian TV and cinema ("Nollywood") actor. He was best known for his role on the long-running Nigerian television series Checkmate.
The Lion and the Jewel, a play by Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka that was first performed in 1959 in Ibadan. In 1966, it was staged in London at the Royal Court Theatre. The play chronicles how Baroka, the lion, fights with the modern Lakunle over the right to marry Sidi, the titular Jewel. Lakunle is portrayed as the civilized antithesis of Baroka and unilaterally attempts to modernize his community and change its social conventions for no reason other than the fact that he can. The transcript of the play was first published in 1962 by Oxford University Press. Soyinka emphasises the theme of the corrupted African culture through the play, as well as how the youth should embrace the original African culture. A review by Naijabanquet describes The Lion and the Jewel as "a masterpiece that successfully combines the concept of literature as a tool both for socio-cultural activism and shining spotlight on aesthetics."
Wole Oguntokun was a Nigerian playwright, dramaturge, director and was the artistic director of Theatre Planet Studios and Renegade Theatre as well as a member of the board of Theaturtle, a Canadian theatre company. He was also a theatre administrator and newspaper columnist.
Mobolaji Olufunso Johnson was a Nigerian Army Brigadier who served as Military Administrator of the Federal territory of Lagos from January 1966 to May 1967 during the military regime of General Aguyi-Ironsi, and then as Governor of Lagos State from May 1967 to July 1975 during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon. As Governor of Lagos, his administration supervised the unpopular demolition of the Ajele Cemetery in the early 1970s.
Maroko was a community in Eti-Osa, Lagos State, Nigeria. It was adjacent to Ikoyi and east of Victoria Island. It was a low-income area that attracted a lot of migrants since it was in close proximity to economically robust areas. Flooding and sand-filling affected Maroko during its life.
Nick Monu is a Nigerian dramatist, actor and director.
The Port Harcourt Book Festival is an annual literary event in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, organised by the Rainbow Book Club and endorsed by the Rivers State Government since 2008. The Garden City Literary Festival, which is currently known as the Port Harcourt Book Festival was founded by Governor Amaechi of Rivers State, Hundreds of literary fans flock to the Garden City every year for this six-day event, which includes a book fair, writers' workshops, and a variety of other activities. In the past the Festival has been attended by recognized authors and has hosted a number of celebrities.
Chief Wale Ogunyemi, OFR was a Nigerian veteran seasoned dramatist, film actor, prolific playwright, and Yoruba language scholar.
Tunji Oyelana is a multi-award-winning Nigerian musician, actor, folk singer, composer and once a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Tunji Oyelana is of the Yoruba ethnic group and is a native of Nigeria. Most of Tunji Oyelana's songs are in Yoruba. In the early 1980s, he teamed up with Nigeria's first and only winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Wole Soyinka, to record a musical album that satirized the corruption of the Nigerian political elite. He was the musician for Stéphane Breton's 1994 film Un dieu au bord de la route. Oyelana is credited with having sold the most albums by a Nigerian High Life musicians. In 2012 he released A Nigerian Retrospective 1966-79, an album from Soundway Records. Apart from Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade, Oyelana is regarded as one of the most played Yoruba musicians. He and Soyinka composed I Love My Country and, in 1996, were both charged with treason and forced into exile by Sani Abacha while touring internationally with Soyinka's play The Beatification of Area Boy. Oyelana, the leader of The Benders currently lives in the United Kingdom.
Josiah Jesse "J.J." Ransome-Kuti was a Nigerian clergyman and music composer. He was known for setting Christian hymns to indigenous music, and for writing Christian hymns in Yoruba.
Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman is a 2022 Yoruba-language Nigerian historical drama film directed by Biyi Bandele and distributed by Netflix, based on Wole Soyinka'sDeath and the King's Horseman, a stage play he wrote while in Cambridge, where he was a fellow at Churchill College during his political exile from Nigeria, and it is based on a real incident that took place in Yorubaland during British Colonial rule. The film stars Odunlade Adekola as the titular character, with Shaffy Bello, Brymo, Deyemi Okanlawon, Omowunmi Dada, Jide Kosoko, Langley Kirkwood, Joke Silva amongst others in supporting roles.
A Play of Giants is a play by Wole Soyinka, Africa's first Nobel Prize winner in 1986. "A Play of Giants" is a satire that takes aim at dictators in Africa, including the notorious Idi Amin. Set at the New York embassy, the play ingeniously portrays a gathering of dictatorial African leaders, highlighting their absurdities and follies as they attempt to navigate cooperation and decision-making. Through sharp wit and clever dialogue, the play-offers a scathing commentary on power, politics, and the human condition, inviting audiences to reflect on the nature of tyranny and its impact on society. It was published on January 1, 1984.
Alapata Apata, a satirical play by Wole Soyinka mocking Nigerian politics through the story of Alaba, a retired butcher. As Alaba adjusts to his newfound leisure, the play exposes the absurdities of power dynamics and political manipulation in Nigeria. With humor and wit, Soyinka critiques corruption and hypocrisy, offering a sharp commentary on governance while entertaining readers with its humorous portrayal of characters and situations.
King Baabu is a play by Wole Soyinka amongst his others plays including The Lion and the Jewel,A Dance of the Forests, and The Strong Breed. Wole Soyinka was the first African to win the Nobel Prize award in 1986. King Baabu is a satirical play that mirrors the rule of General Abacha in Nigeria through absurdity and humor. It follows the transformation of General Basha Bash into King Baabu, portraying his reign with a cast of characters speaking in a childish language. Through comedy and storytelling, the play critiques power, corruption, and the cult of personality, leaving a lasting impression as a poignant commentary on political absurdity.
Jero's Metamorphosis is a continuation of The Trials of Brother Jero, written by Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian playwright, poet and author. The play pictures a prophet at the beach side with is disciples.
