Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the paramount ruler of Egbaland in Ogun State, has made a request to the Federal Government to designate July 13 as Wole Soyinka Day in honor of the renowned Nobel laureate and celebrated Nigerian writer.
This move aims to recognize and celebrate Soyinka’s significant contributions to literature and his impact on Nigerian culture and society.
The monarch, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, suggested that July 13 be declared Wole Soyinka Day to pay tribute to the legendary writer’s immense contributions to humanity, both in Nigeria and globally, recognizing his profound impact on literature and his enduring legacy.
On July 2, 2024, at his palace, Oba Gbadebo held a press conference in anticipation of Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday, where he proposed that Soyinka be awarded the prestigious title of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, the second-highest national honor, in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the nation and the world.
This was in addition to his earlier suggestion to declare July 13 as Wole Soyinka Day.
Oba Gbadebo revealed that in Egbaland, July 13, which marks Wole Soyinka’s birthday, has already been declared a special day to honor and celebrate the renowned writer’s legacy and contributions, demonstrating the region’s deep appreciation for his impact on literature and culture.
“It will be appropriate for the Federal Government to adopt July 13 as a national day to celebrate Professor Wole Soyinka, given his contributions to literature and humanity globally.
“It will be good to henceforth adopt his birthday, which is July 13, as Wole Soyinka Day. In fact, New Orleans in the United States of America has already adopted a day to celebrate him, so why can’t we do so to honour our own too?
“The Federal Government should also, in addition to this, confer on Wole Soyinka the second highest national honour of Grand Commander of Order of Niger because of his contributions, to register our dear nation on the global map,” the monarch said.
To commemorate Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday, the monarch announced a series of events scheduled for July 12-13.
These include art exhibitions by students from Soyinka’s alma maters, St. Peters Primary School and Abeokuta Grammar School, as well as book exhibitions, documentary screenings, poetry recitations, and a unique hunting expedition organized by the Egbaland hunters.
These festivities aim to honor Soyinka’s legacy and celebrate his contributions to literature and culture.
