A combination of exhibitions, performances, masterclasses and academic gatherings has been scheduled in Lagos and Ibadan to commemorate the 80th birthday of one of Nigeria’s most influential playwrights.
Lagos and Ibadan will host a series of literary and theatrical events in June to mark the 80th birthday of playwright and scholar Femi Osofisan, organisers have said.
The events are scheduled across Ibadan and Lagos in June and are expected to bring together writers, theatre practitioners, academics and students.
According to a programme released by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Ibadan will host a series of commemorative activities throughout June.
A commemorative exhibition will run from 1 to 30 June at the Prince Tunde Odunlade Arts and Culture Connections, 2 Ladoke Akintola Road, Off Aare Avenue, New Bodija, Ibadan.
A Femi Osofisan playwriting masterclass is also scheduled for 8 to 12 June at the Wole Soyinka Arts Theatre, University of Ibadan.
The Ibadan leg of the programme will continue on 22 June with an International Colloquium on African Drama and Performance Traditions, scheduled for 10 a.m.
Later the same day, ANA will host an evening of homage readings and performances of selected works by Osofisan, alongside tributes and the presentation of a book of tributes. The session is scheduled for 6 p.m.
On J23 June, there will be a day of indigenous art and culture performances at 12 noon, also in Ibadan.
The broader FO@80 celebrations are also expected to include events in Lagos, featuring stage performances, film screenings and roundtable discussions centred on Osofisan’s work and influence on African theatre.
Organisers say the programme is designed as both a celebration and a reflection on the playwright’s contribution to African drama, scholarship and cultural thought.
Born on 16 June 1946 in Erunwon village, Ogun State, Mr Osofisan is regarded as one of Nigeria’s most influential playwrights and theatre scholars.
He studied French at the University of Ibadan, spent part of his undergraduate studies at the University of Dakar, and later pursued postgraduate studies at the Sorbonne in Paris. He obtained his PhD at the University of Ibadan in 1974.
Osofisan taught at the University of Ibadan for several decades, becoming a professor in 1985 and retiring in 2011.
He is the author of more than 40 plays, as well as poetry, essays, and prose fiction, and writes under the pen name Okinba Launko.
Scholars describe Mr Osofisan as part of a generation of Nigerian playwrights who emerged after Wole Soyinka, known for works that engage with politics, history, and social change.
His plays are widely recognised for reworking classical and African texts, drawing on traditions from Euripides, Shakespeare, Brecht, Chinua Achebe and others to reflect contemporary Nigerian realities.
Some of his notable works include Morountodun, Women of Owu, Once Upon Four Robbers, and Tegonni: An African Antigone.
His novella Ma’ami was adapted into a feature film by filmmaker Tunde Kelani in 2011.
Organisers of FO@80 say the events across Lagos and Ibadan are intended to highlight Osofisan’s enduring influence on Nigerian theatre and his contribution to generations of writers and performers.
The combination of exhibitions, performances, academic gatherings and tributes, they said, reflects the breadth of his work and its continued relevance in cultural discourse.
As Mr Osofisan turns 80, the celebrations are expected to highlight his place in Nigeria’s literary and theatrical history.
