The annual tradition of hosting a literary feast in honour of the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka is back. The Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange, WSICE, which is in its 14th edition, is to be held on July 13 in hybrid format – virtual and on-site. The general Advocacy theme for this edition revolves around Good Governance & Nation Building.
The theme hinges on the mood of the Nigerian nation and, indeed, many nations of the world, dealing with the existential problem of navigating the challenges of nation building through the prisms of good governance, individual and national interests and national development.
For WSICE’s Executive Producer, Dr. Teju Kareem also known as the Managing Director/CEO of the lead promoters of the project, Zmirage Multimedia Company, ZMC, this edition will serve as a precursor to the 2024 edition which will mark the 90th birthday of Prof. Wole Soyinka.
The youth section of the edition will focus on mentoring and grooming the new generation of thinkers and potential leaders who would work for the overall national interest of lifting their country to greater heights of human and material development.
Entrance to Soyinka’s forest home
Dr. Kareem also hinted that the 2023 edition is a prelude to the 15th edition, which is being schemed to mark the 90th birthday of Soyinka in July 2024. The working theme for the 2024 edition would be E.N.I.O.G.U.N, which though sets out as acronym, is the renowned alias of Soyinka, encapsulating his character traits and essences as a patriot, global cultural icon and humanist. A series of events including competitions, public promotion and campaigns will preface the edition.
Essentially, the major event of the 2023 edition will be the annual Essay Writing which features secondary school students drawn from across the country writing on the theme: Wole Soyinka: Humanism, Artistry and Nationalism. The participants would gather at the Ijegba forest home of the Nobel Laureate for the literary feast with members of the literary community.
The idea, as had been the tradition of the WSICE since inception, is to explore the ideals of Soyinka, whose life-career trajectory has manifested as an irrepressible patriot, committed nationalist and adherent advocate for good governance as a condition for effective and meaningful nation building. The objective is to use his life and career example as a template for understanding the dynamics of nation building, especially reflecting on the intellectual and material resources required to offer the necessary sacrifices towards accomplishing the ideals.
