LABAF at 25:A Green Festival And The Award of Ken Saro Wiwa Literary Prize

Nurturing The Creative Talents of Tomorrow

Public Historians who are familiar with the work of the Lagos State Records & Archives Bureau(LASRAB),the 2021 exhibition on The Life and Times of King Adele II,organised by the Isale Eko Descendants Association,the Lagos State Museum(LASU Museum).The campaigns of Didi Museum and the growing importance of private archival companies in Lagos,specialising in the audit,collection,classification and communication of family and corporate archives.Will appreciate the keynote address delivered by Dr Kolade Oshinowo,the former Rector of the Yaba College of Technology on the importance of documentation and record keeping for artists,collectors and contemporary art researchers during this 25th edition.

Photos:First photo,Mrs Adesola Alamutu,the Green Festival moderator, in the midst of students.Second Photo,Mr Richard Mofe Damijo,writer and film maker, talking to secondary school students,Third Photo,standing on the right are some members of CORA Volunteers Corps,in the front row, is Chief Kayode Aderinokun,Chair CORA Board of Trustees,Mrs Ngozi Nwosu,a prominent TV personality,a famous literary figure and Dr Obari Gomba.Fourth photo:Professor Femi Osofisan, opening the session.

The Strategy of a Green Festival

This 25th edition also looked like an assembly of great poets like Cash Onadele,Eriata Oribhabor, Ifeanyichkwu Avijah and a Green Festival.The idea of a Green Festival was to introduce teenagers to careers in the cultural sector, to give them the opportunity to have interactive sessions with creative professionals and to draw their attention to environmental issues.The success of this component of the festival is attributable to the drive and the gusto of Mrs Adesola Alamutu,the moderator of the Green Festival for the past 18 years  and one of the founding members of the Association of Women Writers of Nigeria.

First Photo,Dr Obari Gomba,delivering the keynote address,Second Photo,Mr Toyin Akinosho,Sec.General of CORA presenting Miss  Adedoyin Olojede,the 2023 winner of Ken-Saro Wiwa Literary Award,Third Photo, Chief Aderinokun and Dr Obari Gomba,presenting two titles to Miss Olojede,Fourth Photo,Mr Jahman Anikulapo,CORA Programme Chair, introducting Mr John Obot,who entered the Guinness Book of Records for his 125 hours of reading.

Keynote Address And The Award of Ken Saro Wiwa Prize

The Reset: History and the Darkling Plain was the theme of the session opened by Professor Femi Osofisan and a keynote address delivered by Dr Obari Gomba,the deputy dean, of the Faculty of Art,at the University of Port Harcourt.Who explained that The Darkling Plain was a plea against the Biafran war by Ken Saro Wiwa,profiled the intellectual itinerary of the author,put his campaigns in the context of Nigerian History,analysed  the responsibilities of Nigeria and made recommendations to rectify the inefficiencies within the political system.It was during this exchange that the Chairman of CORA Board of Trustees,Chief Kayode Aderinokun disclosed that as far back as 2015,the KS-W Award was created in memory of Ken Saro-Wiwa, to encourage reading and literay engagement and the first prize was awarded to Miss Adedoyin Olojede,an undergaduate at the University of Ibadan.

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