Nigeria's literary and theatrical communities are preparing to honor one of Africa's most revered cultural figures, Professor Femi Osofisan, as he celebrates his 80th birthday this June. The distinguished playwright, critic, poet, and public intellectual, whose work has shaped generations of artists, scholars, and audiences worldwide, will be commemorated with a rich program of activities including performances, screenings, and conversations in Lagos (June 11–15, 2026) and Ibadan (June 17–18, 2026).
National Tribute to a Cultural Luminary
The FO@80 celebrations bring together theatre practitioners, filmmakers, academics, students, and admirers to honor a writer whose work has consistently interrogated power, history, justice, and the human condition. The events offer a rare opportunity to revisit Osofisan's dramatic oeuvre across stage and screen while engaging in critical dialogue about his enduring impact.
The Lagos celebrations will begin with a three-day stage production of Osofisan's acclaimed play Yungba Yungba and the Dance Contest (June 11–13). Directed by Bunmi Adedina, the production will run daily at 2:00 PM, with a Command Performance at 1:00 PM on June 11 at the Department of Theatre Arts, Lagos State University of Education, Ijanikin, Lagos. Other productions being planned include No More the Wasted Breed (directed by Segun Adefila) and The Engagement (directed by Shola Adenugba).
On June 14, events move to JRandle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Onikan, Lagos, starting with a Talk by dramatist Ben Omowafola Tomoloju titled “The Femi Osofisan I Know” at 3:00 PM. Tomoloju's Talk will be followed by the unveiling of 100 Songs of Femi Osofisan, produced by Semoore Badejo for Concrete Studios. A Roundtable on “Femi Osofisan's Drama and the Deconstruction of the Nigerian Postcolonial State” will feature scholars, practitioners, and admirers reflecting on his legacy at 4:00 PM. Speakers include BabaAgba Tunde Kelani, filmmaker and culture advocate; Professor Mabel Evwierhoma, theatre and culture scholar, University of Abuja; Professor Akin Adesokan, culture and media scholar, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA; Professor Razinat Mohammed, writer and literary scholar, University of Abuja; Dr. Onyekaba Cornel-Best, theatre and media scholar, University of Lagos; Professor Ifure Ufford-Azorbo, theatre practitioner and scholar, University of Uyo; and Israel Eboh, theatre director and former President of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP). It will be moderated by Jahman Anikulapo, culture curator and communicator. Guests will enjoy a screening of Maami, adapted for film by Tunde Kelani from Osofisan's original work, beginning at 6:00 PM.
The Lagos program concludes on June 15 with a second Roundtable at 4:00 PM on the theme “Interpreting Femi Osofisan for the Stage.” Speakers include Professor Grace Adinku, Performance and Visual Arts Studies scholar, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; Dr. Teju Kareem, theatre practitioner and CEO of Zmirage Multimedia Company; Dr. Toyin Ogundeji, theatre practitioner and teacher at Obafemi Awolowo University; Professor Rasheedat Liman, theatre teacher and culture scholar; Mrs. Joke Silva (Jacobs), veteran actress and culture entrepreneur; Segun Adefila, theatre practitioner and Chairman of the Guild of Nigerian Dancers (GOND); and Makinde Adeniran, theatre director and President of NANTAP. It will be moderated by Professor Tunji Azeez, theatre teacher, scholar, and President of the Society of Nigerian Theatre Artists (SONTA). The Roundtable will be followed by a screening of Cordelia, an adaptation of Osofisan's novella of the same title by BabaAgba Tunde Kelani at 6:00 PM. Other performances being contemplated include No More the Wasted Breed adapted and directed by Segun Adefila for the Crown Troupe of Africa, and The Engagement directed by Shola Adenugba for the Lagos Live Theatre. The Talk and Roundtables will also be accessible via Zoom; audiences may register using the link: https://bit.ly/3PLZrN6.
The celebrations continue at the Staff Club, University of Ibadan, beginning on June 17 with a recorded presentation of Yungba Yungba and the Dance Contest as performed at the University of Ghana, Legon, directed by Grace Adinku. The screening starts at 2:00 PM and is followed by a Q&A. The Ibadan program concludes on June 18 with a recorded performance of Farewell to a Cannibal Rage, staged at Texas A&M University and directed by Grace Adinku. The screening begins at 2:00 PM, followed by a Roundtable session and Tributes.
The celebrations enjoy the partnerships and technical support of JRandle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History Lagos; University of Ibadan; Lagos State University of Education; Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; University of East Anglia, UK; Mainframe Productions; Ibadan Literary Society; Concrete Studios; and Friends of Femi Osofisan.
Biography and Achievements
Born at Erunwon on June 16, 1946, Femi Osofisan (aka Okinba Launko) had his secondary education at Government College, Ibadan, and then proceeded to the University of Ibadan, where after a year abroad in Dakar, Senegal, he obtained an Honours degree in French in 1966. Eight years later, after aborting his postgraduate studies in Paris, he returned to Ibadan to obtain his PhD in 1974, and then joined the faculty as an Assistant Lecturer. He rose to the post of Professor in 1985 and was made Emeritus Professor in 2014 upon retirement. Osofisan has published over 40 plays, five novellas, six volumes of poetry, as well as the acclaimed biography of J.P. Clark entitled J.P. Clark: A Voyage. A former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), PEN Nigeria, and the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Osofisan has received several fellowships and awards, including the French National Order of Merit Award (1991); the University of Ibadan Faculty of Arts Distinguished Alumnus Award (2001); the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award for the Humanities (2004); and the prestigious Fonlon-Nichols Award (2005). In 2006, he became a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. In 2016, he was the first African to be honored with the Thalia Prize of the International Association of Theatre Critics for his work in helping critics worldwide understand new ways of seeing and appreciating the performing arts.
