Professor Niyi Osundare is a man of many parts. He defies a single description too. Many describe him as a multiple award-winning poet, writer, academic, activist, scholar, essayist, columnist, public intellectual and playwright who has over the years been the conscience of the nation, speaking truth to power, dialoguing with the country and fighting for the betterment of the Nigerian masses. And he doesn’t play the ostrich.

Still, his literary and academic exploits notwithstanding, what endears him to his professional colleagues, students, his people and all those he has come across with in his almost four scores of existence is his palpable humanity, his humbling humility and his sense of community. The records are there.

This is a man who is not just Emeritus Professor of English at the University of New Orleans, but was educated in three continents across the globe. This is a man who attended some of the best universities in the world. This is a man who has virtually won most of the prestigious literary awards in Africa.

His oeuvre speaks for itself. It includes: “Songs from the Marketplace”, “Village Voices”, “Moon songs”, “Songs of the Season”, “Waiting Laughters”,”City Without People: The Katrina Poems”, “Dialogue with my Country,” to mention only a few.

Yet despite his intimidating profile, despite his elegance in height and in speech, this author of “The Eye of the Earth”, who is farmer-born and peasant -bred, chooses to be humble, to be in close touch with his roots and to identify with the people and the downtrodden.

“How can I forget Ekiti? How can I forget Ikere, Ado, Iworoko and so on? How can I forget Ibadan, Nsukka, Port Harcourt, Kano? This is my world. Those who have read My works would know that all these places come frequently in,” Osundare said while making his remarks in the event celebrating his 78th birthday at the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti.

“Those who say I am a giant today. Maybe I am tall. But if I am tall at all it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants. And Professor Ayo Banjo (his former teacher) was one of them,” he said.

It was in the light of these and other reasons that Ekiti State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors in collaboration with Ekiti State University organized the 2nd Annual Niyi Osundare Colloquium which held at the Main Auditorium of the Ekiti State University on Wednesday 12 March, 2025.

The theme of the Colloquium was : “The Role of the Writer in a Society in Need of Social Re-Engineering”. The lecture was delivered by Professor Adebayo Lamikanra. The Chairman of the occasion was Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, who was represented by Senator Babafemi Ojudu, the facilitator of the event. While the host was Professor J.B Ayodele, Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti.

Students of Amoye Grammar School, Ikere Ekiti, Christ’s School Ado-Ekiti and Ekiti State University Ado-Ekiti also spiced up the day with their vivacious presence as well as poetic and dance performances

It was a day of tributes, music, dance and reminiscences. It was also a day of culture and tradition, which Osundare’s poetry brims with. Still, what made the event spectacular was that it coincided with the celebrant’s 78th birthday.

Still, another highpoint of the event was when Osundare took to the dance floor and showed his dancing skills and knowledge of the cultural tradition of his people as the cultural troupe of Ekiti State University lit up the hall with their electrifying performances.

Osundare, while giving his speech thanked the Ekiti State Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State and Senator Babafemi Ojudu for making the event happen. “I owe a mountain of gratitude to those who have conspired to make this occasion happen. Let me begin by saying that this is a moment of homecoming for me,. And I’m talking with all seriousness,” Osundare said.

Osundare was in his elements. While he expressed appreciation for the opportunity to be in his place of birth he last visited in 2019 due to the spate of kidnappings currently ravaging the country, the renowned poet use the occasion to decry the insecurity in Nigeria, take a swipe at government and called for urgent actions to be taken to stop the kidnappings.

“I haven’t been to this part of our country since 2019. 2020, COVID. I couldn’t even come to Nigeria. And as COVID was receding, a monster called adoption and kidnapping replaced it. It became difficult for me to travel even when I am in Nigeria. And I was restricted to Ibadan.

“Even in Ibadan city I made sure that at 7 o’ clock in the evenings I was already at home because quite a number of my colleagues were being kidnapped. Those of them that survived, the stories they gave us actually made us more frightened.

“And I want to thank the Ekiti State government, particularly our governor for making it possible for me to make it here. And it was important. It was compulsory. But it was also uncomfortable for me too, being surrounded by policemen in my own country so as to avoid the danger and the tragedy of my being kidnapped.

“Nigeria 2025. No country allows that kind of thing to happen. I have no freedom of movement. And so many millions of us have been deprived of this. It was day before yesterday they picked me up. All the way to Ado Ekiti here from Ibadan, came to my door and through the terrible roads we got here. I was feeling the bumps of the roads.

“Thank goodness my old lowered back survived it. But I also felt at peace because I didn’t have to look left and right whether gunmen with AK-47 were coming.That is how to live in a prison. Our country, Nigeria today is a prison for many of us. Maybe I shouldn’t say all of us because those in position of power are out of it.

“One of the things my father taught us was, speak the truth. No matter how afraid the neck is, it cannot ask the neck to open it so that it can swallow it. We have to tell ourselves the truth.This is not how to live. And if this is not how to live, it means it is not how to learn. It is affecting our institutions. It means this is not how to teach.Now things have gone so bad,” Osundare lamented.

In his welcome speech, the Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Professor J.B Ayodele, described Osundare as a blessing to Ekiti, Nigeria and the world. He also said the University was honoured to host the programme, which incidentally was holding on Osundare’s 78th birthday.

“Professor Niyi Osundare is a world-renowned poet, a writer, an essayist, a scholar and public analyst. And he deserves to be celebrated. This is in view of the immense contribution of this literary icon to all aspects of literature, art literacy, even activism and drama, ” the Vice-Chancellor said.

Dr Olugbenga Daramola, Chairman of the Ekiti State Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors, said they were there to celebrate the literary accomplishments, contributions and feats of one of the living leading black poets, not just in Africa but in the entire world. Someone who has four doctorates – one earned at the University of Ibadan and another, Honoris Causa from the same University of Ibadan and two other Honoris Causa from two other university.

“Someone whose literary works have been translated to 13 foreign languages as at last count. His poems have been translated to at least 13 foreign languages,” Daramola noted

Daramola also remarked that the Association of Nigerian Authors decided to institute the annual Colloquium in his honour for three major reasons “One, celebrating the achievements of others wakes up the sleeping giant on us. Two. It inspires us to strive for excellence. Three, it appears that we Nigerians in general and we Ekiti, Ekiti kete in particular, do not celebrate ourselves enough at all. Those who value literature and art celebrate accomplished literary and visual artists.

“It is our great pleasure to celebrate Professor Niyi Osundare in his lifetime and not just to trumpet some hypocritical eulogies when he is gone. Celebrating him in his lifetime is the least we can do as a people to show that we sincerely appreciate his immense contribution to literary excellence and literary activism,” Daramola said.

Senator Babafemi Ojudu, for his part, chose to kill two birds with one stone as he celebrated both Osundare and Ikere Ekiti. Ojudu titled his panegyric on Ekiti thus: “Ikere: The Wellspring of creativity.”

“Have you ever wondered about the creative energy that flows from Ikere? What is it about this town that has produced the man we are celebrating today—Prof. Niyi Osundare, a poet of immense talent, whose verses, steeped in the richness of his culture, have mesmerized the world of poetry?'”Ojudu asked.

Ojudu displayed his deep knowledge of Ikere Ekiti, its people and how it has contributed to the array of stars the community has produced. He mentioned stars of Ikere Ekiti origin which the town boasts of such as Osundare, Sade Adu, Dele Jegede, Wole Olanipekun, Ola Olukorede, Mohbad, to mention just a few.

“And it is from this rich soil that the man we honor today emerged. Prof. Niyi Osundare is not merely a poet; he is a vessel of Ikere’s essence, a custodian of its lyrical spirit, and a chronicler of its rhythms. His poetry carries the cadence of the talking drum, the wisdom of the ancient town square, the philosophy and knowledge of the Aladoko and his twin brother Alamudu, and the resilience of a people who have learned to turn adversity into art,” Ojudu maintained.

Ojudu also stressed the need for the accomplished brother and sisters from Ikere to mentor the younger generation . He also called for unity in Ikere, adding that societies that flourish are those that unite behind a common purpose.

“This town of our pride, known for its brilliance and creativity, must not be overtaken by the rising tide of cyber fraud, the so-called ‘Yahoo’ trade, that is ensnaring our youth. It is our collective responsibility to guide them toward a future rooted in integrity, excellence, and the rich legacy of ingenuity that Ikere has always embodied.

“Equally, I call on the elite of Ikere Ekiti to rise above the petty divisions that threaten to stymie the town’s progress. History has shown us that societies that flourish are those that unite behind a common purpose.

“What unites us—our heritage of scholarship, creativity, resilience, and excellence—is far greater than whatever differences may exist among us. We must resist the temptations of factionalism, jealousy, and discord. A house divided against itself cannot stand, and a town consumed by internal strife cannot achieve its full potential,” he said.

Ojudu hinted at the fact that Osundare, who had been nominated twice for the Nobel Prize in Literature is on his way to winning it. “Today, as we celebrate Osundare, we also celebrate Ikere—its past, its present, and its boundless potential.

“And perhaps, in the not-too-distant future, when the world gathers to bestow its highest literary honor upon him, we will remember that this Nobel-worthy brilliance was not conjured from thin air. It was born from the fertile ground of Ikere—a town that continues to give the world the gift of genius. May we honor that gift by ensuring that unity, vision, and progress define Ikere’s future,” Ojudu maintained.

When It was the turn of Prof Adebayo Lamikanra to deliver the colloquium lecture themed “The Role of the Writer in a Society in Need of Social Re-Engineering”, he did not disappoint. He began his lecture with a treatise in Yoruba to drive home the importance of indigenous languages. He then prefaced his lecture proper by eulogizing the celebrant.

“First of all I like to celebrate my brother Professor Niyi Osundare not just because today is his birthday but because he has been found worthy of honour. When you honour somebody you’re honouring yourself. When you have the opportunity to be honoured it means that people are impressed by what you have been able to do.

“When you look at it, he did not come to the world thinking that he was going to become a world famous poet, that he was going to be the conscience of a nation. He came to do whatever it is that he has been sent to do. Some people have been sent to steal. We honour them the way they should be honoured.

“But some people have come to make the world a better place. We must honour them for that because every body has his own role to play, whether in his family , in his society, in his country, in his profession. All of us have something to contribute. And he has chosen to make sterling contributions in managing words,”bLamikanra noted.

Lamikanra did justice to the theme of the lecture as he started with stressing the importance of the “word” which, according to him, is the building block of writing.

“He (Osundare) said the word is an egg. That’s one of his books. And that says it all. Because when we are talking about writing, our building block is the word. And the word is very powerful. Some say the word was with God, the word was God and was made flesh and all that.

“The word is also an egg. The word is powerful. And we have been warned that we must be careful about what comes out of your mouth . Because once it comes out and drops on the floor it breaks irreparably. There are some people who are in trouble today because they have not been able to use their words advisedly. May we never fall into that trap.

“The word must be cultivated in order for words to be put together to make meaning. And let me tell you the word is actually what makes us human,” Lamikanra noted.

Lamikanra also emphasized the importance of cultivating Yoruba language, saying if that is not done, the Yoruba language will die. That indeed explains why he prefaced his lecture in Yoruba.

“The Word is important. It’s part of us. It’s part of our culture. That is why I am a Yoruba enthusiast. Because it’s our own contribution to world culture. If we are careless and we do not really make use of our opportunity to develop the word, we will always be second class, in fact third class citizens. And in fact we must never be complacent about where the world is going but where we are taking the word in terms of communication, in terms of speech, in terms of writing.

“We must never say oh it’s going to be here forever. There is a danger. If we do not cultivate our language it will die. So we are supposed to look at it from that point of view, that language is something we hand over because it encompasses what makes us human beings . And we must never e lose sight of that.

Lamikanra maintained that anybody is a writer who uses language to express his humanity, emphasizing the role of the writer in re-engineering society

“The writer is not just that person that writes in English or speaks English or use English. The writer is a man or a woman that can use language to express his humanity. And that is why I am so encouraged to encourage other people to develop proficiency in Yoruba.

“I am saying that because one of the things I am supposed to interrogate is the rearrangement of the society. We have to rearrange this society. What is the role of the writer? What is the role of the writer in coming up with a way or ways of ensuring that we can rearrange our society?

“What we are saying in effect is that language is the basis of our contributions to societal development. And that writers are allowed to intrude into our consciousness because of their ability to use language, whether in terms of the local language or in terms of the English language.

“And we have to find a situation in which we do not give up on ourselves. I said this because when we look at what we have been writing in the last 60 years in this country, you will find out that our writers have made great efforts to contribute to the rearrangement of society.

“Osundare has been writing in the last 40 years and telling us ‘Nigeria this is the way to go.’ But are we listening to him? Are we listening to the other people who have taken it upon themselves to try and rearrange society in such a way as to overcome the situation in which we find ourselves?

“And as an individual I have come to the conclusion that we have not being getting it rearranged because there is not a shortage of contributions from writers. We are not getting it arranged because of fundamental disadvantages. We have raised money, office, acclaim far above character. And therefore there is a situation in which the writer is limited in the way that he can change or ameliorate the situation within the society that lacks a form of arrangement.

“If there is anything you will take away from what we are saying or what we are thinking is that everyone of us is a writer. We are writers in the sense that we use the word. The basic ingredient for writing is the word. We have to cultivate the word. We have to allow it to grow. We have to make sure that it is relevant to society.

“And that is the essence of cultivating language, of making sure that these our languages will continue to develop. There is no league table for languages . It is what you present to the world that the world will accept. If we do not present anything, the world will not take us seriously because the underlying character that separates us, that makes us human beings is our ability to think and write and talk and communicate. Once we do that maybe we are going to take that first step toward rearranging the society,” Lamikanra averred.

The panel discussion, which followed the lecture was moderated by Dr Tai Oguntayo. Scholars who participated in the panel discussion included; Dr Adewusi, Dr Sola Balogun, Dr Femi Oluwafemi and Dr Olufemi Adeosun.

“He (Osundare) is not just a poet. He is a lover of humanity, a lover of Nigeria, a lover of Yoruba and a lover of Ekiti land.

“The essence of this discussion is to let you people know how we know him, what we know about him, who he is and where he has taken education, intellectuality to in Nigeria,” Oguntayo said.

Dr Femi Ouwafemi noted that Osundare comes across as a man with a large heart. “In my heart he redefines academia. I want to say this afternoon that he really influenced me a lot,” he said.

Dr Sola Balogun, said he had the rare privilege of being taught by Osundare at the University of Ibadan, adding that he (Osundare) was one of the best brains they had as their lecturers. He also said he learnt the virtues of humility, kindness, generosity, hard work and discipline from him.

Dr Adewusi, for his part, acknowledged the fact that almost all of Osundare’s poems have been about social re-engineering. He also bemoaned the fact despite Osundare’s contributions, things seem to be getting worse in the country.

Responding to the speakers on the panel, Osundare dwelt on the need for humility, no matter one’s social status or achievement. He considers himself a lucky man

“When people talk about humility and they say I am humble. I just wonder. I am humble because I had no choice. October 1st last year, the University of New Orleans gave me a reception, my old department. Many people there, the black students, were particularly interested in my story. ‘How did you become what you’ve become today? What books did your parents read to you when you were young?’ And I said, ‘No books.’ And how, how , how and so on. And the answer I gave to them is I have been lucky.

“Do I compare myself with other people? Yes I do. And each time I do, something tells me it is not by your special grace that you are where you are. It could have been the other way round,” Osundare maintained.

And as the 2nd annual Colloquium winded up to a closE with the celebrant giving a treatise on humility, that was significant enough.

No sooner than Ms Funke Awodiya, Vice Chairman Ekiti State Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors and herself an alumni of Ekiti State University had given the vote of thanks than many climbed up the stage to have a feel of and to take photographs with the farmer-born, peasant-bred distinguished Emeritus Professor of English at the University who is so great yet so humble and humane.

And they could not but look with awe and reverence at a man who is up there but still in touch with his roots, a man who has travelled the world but has never forgotten home, a man who has reached the utmost height in his career but still considers himself lucky.