5 unforgettable Nigerian poets

Practised throughout history, in every culture and on every continent, poetry speaks to our common humanity and our shared values, transforming the simplest of poems into a powerful catalyst for dialogue and peace.

World Poetry Day is the occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and raise the visibility of poetry in the media.

Below are five unforgettable Nigerian poets that always keep us glued.

1. Wole Soyinka

Akinwande Oluwole "Wole" Babatunde Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, poet and essayist. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, the first African to be honoured in that category.

Soyinka has written many poems and plays, as well as books. His contribution to the culture and development of this country' poetry is immense.

2. Niyi Osundare

Niyi Osundare is a prolific poet, dramatist and literary critic. Osundare is renowned for his commitment to socially relevant art and artistic activism. Osundare believes that there is no choice for the African poet but to be political. Osundare regularly contributed poems to a Nigerian national newspaper (now part of the collection Songs of the Season) that criticised the regime and commented upon the lives of people in Nigeria. As a result, he was frequently visited by Security Agents and asked to explain his poems and to whom they referred.

3. Nana Asma'u

Full name Nana Asma’u bint Shehu Usman dan Fodiyo was a princess, poet, teacher, and a daughter of the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, Usman dan Fodio.

She remains a revered figure in northern Nigeria. She is held up by some as an example of education and independence of women possible under Islam, and by others as a precursor to modern feminism in Africa.

4. Philip Begho

Philip Begho is an award-winning Nigerian dramatist, children's writer, novelist, short story writer, and poet.

He has also engaged in film and theatrical production. His dramatic writing cuts across film, television, radio and the stage, and several of his stage plays have won awards. He also writes songs and non-fiction works, and his law book Company Formation: Precedents on Objects of Incorporation has gone into several editions.

5. Olatubosun Oladapo

Also known as the loquacious parrot, Olatubosun Oladapo is a Yoruba-language folk poet, playwright, music producer, radio personality/broadcaster, writer, and researcher from Nigeria.

His personal Yoruba poetry (ewi) albums typically feature Yoruba poetry recited over an orchestra of folk music. He is the author of print collections of poetry, Aroye Akewi (1 and 2) and Arofo Awon Omode.

His plays Ogun Lakaaye and Egbade Falade were joint prize winners of the Oxford University Press drama competition in 1970.