The Initiative for Information, Arts and Culture Development (IACD) is organising a month-long exhibition involving over 80 schools to celebrate the 90th birthday of Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka.
This event, aimed at both public and private school students in Ibadan and surrounding areas, will highlight the impactful life of the renowned playwright.
Dr. Kolade Mosuro, President of IACD, announced the exhibition in Ibadan on Monday during a press briefing.
Soyinka, born in 1934, will turn 90 on July 13.
Flanked by Dr. Tunde Awosanmi and Mr. Patrick Agwu, Mosuro emphasised that the IACD aims to celebrate Soyinka in a unique manner, acknowledging the special grace it is to reach 90. The exhibition will include a variety of programmes such as performances, stage plays, and readings, providing students with deeper insights into Soyinka’s life as a patriot, advocate of fair play, dramatist, artist, guitarist, music lover, and Nobel laureate.
Key highlights include performances by Government College Ibadan, featuring "The Lion and The Jewel" directed by Jumoke Sobo, and "Childe Internationale" directed by Dele Morakinyo, on July 19 at Bishop Philip Academy, Aperin, Ibadan. Additionally, "Isara," a stage adaptation by Femi Osofisan, will be performed on July 26 at 5:00 p.m. at Wole Soyinka Theatre, University of Ibadan.
The exhibition, running from July 2 to July 31 at IACD's premises on Magazine Road, Jericho, Ibadan, will trace Soyinka’s life from birth to the present through visuals, memorabilia, and sound, arranged thematically to tell his rich and remarkable story.
Mosuro highlighted that while many activities are being held globally in Soyinka's honour, this exhibition stands out by inspiring and rekindling the legacy of scholarship and creativity among students. He noted that the exhibition aims to revive the reading culture in students, fostering the emergence of future icons like Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe.
Students will visit daily, with the exhibition open to the general public in the afternoons and on Saturdays. "His life is a story of rigorous study, reflection, and growth; a man of rare conscience in any part of the world," Mosuro remarked.
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