Alake of Egba Land Urges FG to Declare July 13 Wole Soyinka Day

The Alake of Egba Land, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare July 13 as a national day to honor Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, in recognition of his immense contributions to humanity and literature both in Nigeria and globally.

Oba Gbadebo also recommended that the Federal Government award Soyinka the Grand Commander of Order of Niger (GCON), the nation’s second highest honor, as the literary icon approaches his 90th birthday.

The traditional ruler announced that Egba Land has already decided to celebrate July 13, Soyinka’s birthday, as Wole Soyinka Day annually. This initiative aims to promote Soyinka’s ideals and his outstanding scholarship to future generations.

As the first African Nobel Prize winner in Literature and an acclaimed international playwright, Soyinka’s work and activism have garnered global recognition. Oba Gbadebo made this appeal during a press conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State, outlining the events planned for Soyinka’s 90th birthday celebration.

The monarch highlighted Soyinka’s status as a global icon, a living legend, and a respected elder statesman with deep roots in Ake, Abeokuta. The theme for the 90th birthday celebration is “Defiance and Creativity: A Celebration of Soyinka’s Artistic Ingenuity and Impact on Nigeria, Africa, and The Entire World.”

Oba Gbadebo stated, “It is fitting for the Federal Government to adopt July 13 as a national day to celebrate Prof. Wole Soyinka, considering his contributions to literature and humanity on a global scale. New Orleans in the United States of America has already designated a day in his honor, so it is only right that we do the same for our own distinguished figure.”