The Niyi Osundare International Poetry Festival (NOIPOFEST) will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the poet’s admission into Nigeria’s National Order of Merit (NNOM) Award on Wednesday, December 11. The event will take place at Room 32, Department of English, University of Ibadan, and will be chaired by Ambassador Yemi Farounmbi.
The NNOM is Nigeria’s highest honor for outstanding contributions in creative and intellectual fields.
Dele Morankiyo, the founder and director of NOIPOFEST, highlighted that ten years after receiving the prestigious award, Osundare, affectionately called the “people’s poet,” continues to elevate his craft. Recently, the poet received multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards across three continents, including in non-English speaking countries where his poetry has transcended language barriers.
The event, organized by the Trustees of NOIPOFEST in partnership with the University of Ibadan’s Department of English, is themed “Niyi Osundare: Ten Years After, the Harvest Continues.” It will include poetry readings, spoken word performances, cultural displays, and a reading by Osundare from his latest poetry collection.
A panel discussion will follow, featuring distinguished scholars who have closely followed Osundare’s work. The panelists include Prof. Nelson Fashina, Head of the Department of English at the University of Ibadan; Prof. Wumi Raji, Department of Dramatic Arts at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Prof. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, Department of English at the University of Ilorin; and Dr. Olanike Olaleru, Department of English and Linguistics at Kwara State University, Malete.
NOIPOFEST, established in 2015, is an annual festival honoring Professor Niyi Osundare, a celebrated poet and public affairs commentator. The festival has been hosted at various institutions, including the University of Ibadan, Lead City University, University of Calabar, and Bishop Abiodun Adetiloye Hall in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, with support from the former governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. The festival is typically a two-day event marked by grandeur and celebration. “Next year’s festival will be in full swing,” Morankiyo assured.
