Zmirage, Africa Centre celebrate Soyinka in London

The Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) remains a vital platform for artistic innovation, cultural dialogue, and intellectual engagement in tribute to the Nobel laureate, who turns 91 today.

THE United Kingdom leg of the 2025 Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) will be held at the Africa Centre, London, on July 25 and 26.

The 16th edition of the annual celebration to mark Professor Wole Soyinka’s birthday is themed ‘Decolonisation of Nigerian Youth: Agenda for Our Future Leadership.’

The Nigerian activities will happen today, July 13, in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Some of the activities include a Youth Talent Showcase ( Do Your Own Thing) featuring music, dance, spoken word, indigenous drama, and visual storytelling by young performers, as well as a spotlight on female talking drummers who explore leadership and expression through traditional rhythms. There will also be cultural exhibitions, mentorship, and a celebratory gathering at the Nobel Laureate’s home in Ijegba Forest.

The London programmes include an advocacy session titled ‘The Artist as Postcolonial Agent: Canvas of Leadership Nuances,’ examining the artist’s role in leadership narratives and sociopolitical discourse in contemporary African societies. Professor Wilson Mano and Dr Vanessa Iwowo will be the keynote speakers, while the anchors are Chief Olu Alake, the Chief Executive Officer of The Africa Centre, and Dr Samantha Iwowo of Bournemouth University.

There will also be a cultural night celebrating African creativity through live music, performance, and visual art. Nigerian creatives in the Diaspora, including Kayefi, Aduke, Segun Akinduro, Abolore Sobayo and Eyinju Eledumare, will feature

Complementing this year’s UK programme is the Africa Youth Literature, Communication, and Arts Workshop, led by Aduke and Abolore Sobayo. The workshop is designed to empower young artists with tools for storytelling, leadership, and creative self-expression.

Executive Producer of WSICE and MD/CEO of ZMirage, Dr. Teju Kareem, commended Professor Soyinka for continuously supporting the initiative, lending his name and “personally receiving youth participants each year at his home, and attending both the Nigerian and UK editions. His presence—from Abeokuta to The Africa Centre in London—reinforces his enduring role as mentor to generations of young thinkers, writers, and artists.”

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Alake of The Africa Centre also commented: “Building on the truly memorable activities that we hosted for WS@90 last year, The Africa Centre is proud to be a part of the continued honouring of Prof Soyinka’s profound leadership. This year’s focus on leadership and the pivotal role of the artists as embodiments of cultural continuity and catalysts for a paradigm shift in African leadership are timely and critical. We look forward to another memorable event that will result in real change.”

Launched in 2010, the WSICE continues to serve as a platform for cultural dialogue, artistic innovation, and intellectual engagement in honour of Professor Soyinka, who turns 91 this year.The 2025 edition is jointly produced by ZMirage Multimedia Company, under the leadership of DrKareem and co-executive producer Prof. Segun Ojewuyi, in collaboration with institutions across Nigeria and the UK.