NAL Celebrates the Legacy of Professor Wole Soyinka at 90
Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has praised Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in Literature, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for his significant contributions to the nation’s development as he turns 90.
At an international symposium organised by the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) in collaboration with the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE), Osinbajo highlighted Soyinka’s literary achievements and his dedication to justice.
The event, themed “Eni Ogun, an Enduring Legacy,” was held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and featured remarks from former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, and several global scholars who honoured Soyinka’s use of arts and culture to promote national identity and human dignity.
Fayemi commended Soyinka’s steadfast commit- ment to truth and political activism, noting that his literature consistently champions the people’s cause. He encouraged the younger generation to follow Soyinka’s example of speaking truth to power and serving their communities.
NAL President, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, also praised Soyinka’s dedication to egalitarian values. He noted that Prof. Wole Soyinka, a distinguished Foundation Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), is renowned as the first African to win the Nobel Prize.
for Literature in 1986. He is celebrated both nationally and internationally for his powerful literary works, which consistently advocate for justice, good governance, and the dignity of Nigerians and black people worldwide. His social activism further amplifies his esteemed reputation.
Other notable speakers included Prof. Emeritus Bereket Selassie, Prof. Emeritus Tunde Adeniran, Profs: Niyi Osundare, Olu Obafemi, Razinat Mohammed, Ahmed Yerima, Mabel Evwierhoma, Florence Orabueze, Tanimu Abubakar, and Duro Oni, the immediate past President of NAL.
