On Sunday, October 28, the Ake Festival came to an end.
The four-day event, which holds annually in Nigeria, is the brain-child of author Lola Shoneyin, whose debut novel ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’ was nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2010.
The event was declared open on Friday by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who acknowledged the importance of the creative industry, while also paying tribute to great Nigerian poets such as Niyi Osundare, Molara Wood and Tanure Ojaide.
Delivering his welcome address, he cited the consequences of discouraging participation in the arts with a fictional childhood experience he had with a girl he “fell in love with”.
“Does the artist have a responsibility to society beyond that of the ordinary citizen? Is there a civil tax payable on talent? Does the fact of your genius place upon you, a moral burden to attempt to…
Read More…..Sahara Reporters
