Poet laureate and Professor of English, Niyi Osundare, has said that though Nigeria is a country with over two hundred and thirty million people, it has no countryness because of the way it is governed, because its rulers do not think before making decisions that impact its citizens.
The professor and social activist stated this last Saturday at RovingHeights Bookstore in Ibadan, during a poetry reading session in his honour, tagged ‘Invocations of the word: A day of poetry and conversations with Niyi Osundare’.
On mounting the stage to read from his two poetry collections: ‘The World Is an Egg’ and ‘Green: Sighs of Our Ailing Planet’, the poet reminded the audience that poetry is not merely words on a page but a full-bodied experience.
“Poetry takes control of the whole body. Your face is the dictionary, and the parts of your body are consonants and vowels,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria, especially comparing the Nigeria of his childhood and university days with the contemporary Nigeria, Osundare declared: “We have no country yet. Nigeria disables its citizens. It rarely does anything for them and prevents them from doing anything for themselves.”
He shared his recent experiences with Nigeria, lamenting the systemic failures that disable rather than empower, adding, “Nigeria wracks principles. It is difficult to stand on your own to speak the truth in this country.”
Osundare, while admitting that there is a lot to criticise and question in the way Nigeria is being run, urged the youth not to repeat the errors of the past. He charged them to be different, to think critically.
“Our rulers do not think. For Nigeria to be a good country, the rulers must become leaders. The value of education is that it makes us critical and interrogative,” he said.
Osundare, while acknowledging the role of the Nigerian diaspora writers and intellectuals in speaking truth to power, noted that it is challenging to write authentically from the diaspora.
“What our diaspora is doing to our writers is killing them. You cannot write authentically and passionately about your country when all you have is garnered from the internet. You are too far from the bleeding wound.”
He lamented the lack of technological innovation among Nigerian publishers and the difficulty in accessing his works, such as Green: Sighs of Our Ailing Planet, which was published in the United States.
Journalists Michael Olatunbosun and Oluwaseun Akinola moderated a conversation with the poet.
Olatunbosun described Osundare as both a “writer” and a “righter,” probing how he maintains his principles in a country that challenges sanity. Osundare responded by saying, “One of the most difficult things to do in Nigeria is to keep your sanity and principles.”
Akinola asked about Osundare’s satirical critique of the judiciary as captured in the poem, ‘My Lord, Tell Me Where to Keep Your Bribe’. The professor replied by saying that the institution remains aspirational, not yet fully just, stressing the importance of selecting its stewards wisely, as they shape the future of justice.
Osundare was asked questions on corruption, survival, artificial intelligence, and the future of creative writing.
Responding to the questions, the poet said, “Bad leaders bring out the worst in their citizens.”
Urging Nigerians to keep hope alive, emphasising that change requires both leadership and citizen responsibility, he added, “If there is life, there is hope.”
When asked to define his literary legacy in one line, Osundare demurred: “That is for the future and the people to decide — whether my pluses beat out my minuses.”
Earlier, Professor Osundare commended the Director of the Ibadan Book and Arts Festival (IbaFest) and convener of the poetry reading, Servio Gbadamosi, for his efforts in preserving poetry and literature in Nigeria.
Gbadamosi noted that the poetry reading — which brought together book lovers, creatives, scholars, and cultural leaders to celebrate the power of storytelling and reflect on the state of the nation — was a prelude to the inaugural Ibadan Book and Arts Festival (IbaFest).
He said that the theme of the inaugural edition of the festival is ‘The Past as Prologue to the Future’, and will be held on October 24–25, 2025, at the University of Ibadan International Conference Centre.
“IbaFest will convene writers, thinkers, and creatives from across Africa and beyond in a vibrant celebration of ideas, creativity, and cultural dialogue,” he said.
The gathering featured some of Nigeria’s budding poets, including Pamilerin Jacob, Obafemi Thanni, Sodiq Oyekanmi, Olajuwon Opeyemi Folashayo, Asan, Flourish Joshua, and Oluwatomisin Olorunfemi, who read from a wide range of poems from Osundare’s oeuvre.
At the event were Professor Femi Osofisan, Dr Ayodeji Shittu, Professor Mark Osama Ighile, Professor Nelson Fashina, Professor Adeshina Afolayan, Professor Doyin Agoru, Dr Folasade Anita Ajao, Mr Steve Shaba of Kraft Books, and Comrade Adewumi Olowoniyi, Coordinator of the Centre for Change, Oyo State chapter.
