The third Kaduna Book & Art Festival was a glowing success that participants didn’t want to end
MANY of the participants didn’t want it to end but end it must. The quality panels, robust debates, insights, conversations and networking made guests want the third Kaduna Book & Art Festival (KABAFEST) to exceed the schedule. But since all good things must end to continue at a future date, the festival, which opened on Wednesday, May 11, came to a close with a magical poetry evening on Saturday, May 14.
With the primary aim of developing the arts in the north, the festival, organised by writer and publisher, Lola Shoneyin’s Book Buzz Foundation for the Kaduna State Government featured guests from around the world. Diaspora Nigerians from the US, Canada, a Jamaican, Kenyan, Ghanaian and even South Africans were all at the event a participant described as a ‘glowing success’.
From the opening ceremony to the closing poetry night, the thousands of guests that attended affirmed that the festival realised its goal of celebrating the power and value of creativity.
It also showcased the luxurious pool of creatives in northern Nigeria that some uninformed people ignorantly disparage but which Shoneyin warned against in her welcome address. “As organisers, my team and I much enjoy showing the world the multiplicity of northern Nigerian stories. We lose so much when we minimise people and deny them of their humanity. Unfortunately, both inside and outside of Nigeria, we are too quick to strip people of layers, of capabilities and aspirations,” she said.
Shoneyin thanked guests, including three South African writers – Sibongile Fisher, Natalia Molebatsi and Zukiswa Wanner – for being part of the festival despite Nigeria’s diplomatic row with their country. None of the trio, she disclosed “revealed any anxiety about coming to Nigeria. Several times, I wondered whether or not to say something to set their minds at ease. But then I remembered that, in the many times that I had travelled to South Africa for a literary event, I was never afraid because I felt safe with my South African sisters. We remain united and committed to doing what creative Africans have always done: rise above the poisonous rhetoric and provide constant reminders that our common humanity is much more important than anything that seeks to divide us.”
The power of cultural dialogue, Shoneyin added, must never be underestimated because it “breaks down barriers and helps to build bridges.” She appreciated the dramatist; Professor Ahmed Yerima honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award and sponsors including Sterling Bank, Peugeot, the US Embassy, Governor Nasir El-Rufai, his Deputy, Dr Hadiza Balarabe and El-Rufai’s wife, Hadiza.
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‘We are sorry.’
Fittingly, the opening ceremony was not all about speeches. There were musical and poetry performances. Young guitar-strumming Stringzshady wowed guests, especially the female ones, with a love number while a group of old Hausa women produced good music with calabashes. Poets Titilope Sonuga, Natalia Molebatsi and Jamaican-Canadian, D’Bi Young Anitafrika further burnished their reputations with stirring recitations as did dancer Ogaba Ochai.
South African, Molebatsi, was especially thoughtful as she apologised for the misguided mobs attacking their African brethren in her country. She noted that if the perpetrators had reflected deeply, they would have realised that such violent acts always consume blacks and women.
She said, “the kind of crisis that happens in the world, that’s happening in South Africa, seems always to find its way to devour black people; women. And it looks like we are always the responsible ones, the ones available for violence to unleash itself on our skins. I hope that we find a better place. I hope that through our words, we can mend the situation. We’ll find the spirit of Pan-Africanism because this is what we were taught.”
Abuja-based writer, Safiya Ismaila Yero, also whet the audience’s appetite with an excerpt from her latest novel, ‘Naja’ which she later discussed at one of the book conversations called ‘Booklogue’.
Yerima commits to practical art
An astute culture administrator and author of some 60 published plays, Yerima’s award at the festival was deserving. A former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Dr Wale Okediran and one of Yerima’s old students, Professor Audee Giwa jointly read his citation. Dr Balarabe then presented the plaque to him.
In his response, the honouree thanked the organisers for finding him worthy. He also reiterated his commitment to practical arts. “Nigeria is such a big country and what my teacher, Prof Soyinka, taught me at Ife is that you can’t sit down and write plays for play sake or arts for art’s sake. Nigeria provides a lot of challenges, and by the time I die, there would be more plays that I haven’t written than ones I’ve written because Nigeria constantly gives me materials. So, as I finish writing, something new comes up.”
Sponsors affirm support
No doubt impressed by the strides the festival has made in just three years, some of the sponsors reaffirmed their support for it.
Executive Director, Sterling Bank, Yemi Odubiyi disclosed that the bank supports KABAFEST to grow the creative industry. He said, “we’re building a national strategy that uses human capital as a driver of Nigeria’s competitiveness. By sponsoring events like this, we are enabling that strategy of making Nigeria and Nigerians compete based on their intellect across the world. We see the potential for Nigeria to generate a lot of foreign earnings from this industry. We recognise that at the moment, the industry is not as formalised as it ought to be.”
Governor El-Rufai, represented by his deputy, Dr Balarabe, explained that the government conceived KABAFEST as a platform to celebrate the literary arts and to encourage literary talents from northern Nigeria. “The first two editions have proven to be a rich mix of the global and the local, exploring our stories and ideas in conversations with those from other cultures. With this 3rd edition, our aspiration to institutionalise KABAFEST is being attained. Kaduna State embraces its diversity as a blessing, and it views literature as one of the most important channels for explaining ourselves to each other and the world; building a sense of common community and challenging us to build a better society.
“Cultural dialogue apart, the creative arts could in themselves be sources of economic dynamism. The Nigerian film industry, our musicians and our photographers are breaking new ground and demonstrating sustained viability. We seek to promote the creative arts to nurture minds, but also to create jobs and wealth for our people. Apart from books, our creative arts program seeks to promote film, music and art in general.”
In-between the opening and closing was a tight programme that featured panel discussions, ‘booklogues’, art exhibition and film screenings. There was also the presentation of prizes to winners of the Andrew Nok Poetry Prize organised by the Yasmin El-Rufai Foundation.
Some of the panels where fiery exchanges took place include ‘Women as leaders in Northern Nigeria’, ‘Let’s talk about consent’ and ‘The Problem with Silence:#Arewa Me Too’. There was also ‘Debating Feminism’, and the hugely popular ‘Soyayya Ruwan Zuma’ (romance novels) conducted entirely in Hausa.
The keynote, ‘The Possibilities of Pan Africanism’ saw the late Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah’s daughter, Samia, in conversation with Olaokun Soyinka about its prospects and problems on the continent and West Africa. Gastronomic affairs were not taken lightly at the festival as there were northern Nigeria desserts as well as Moroccan dishes. On the whole, it was a successful third outing.