Promote culture, Nollywood actor Lalude urges Yoruba writers

Nollywood actor, Fatai Oodua, popular as Lalude, has urged Yoruba writers to be more creative with the pen.

The actor, who spoke during an event to mark Annual Mother Language Celebration Day, held at the BNI Youth Centre, University of Ibadan, emphasised the importance of creativity in Yoruba literature, urging writers to promote culture through the language.

The event, organised by Atelewo Cultural Initiative at the weekend, was aimed at celebrating the Yoruba language and culture.

It also featured the launching of a 45-minute documentary on the life of late Pa Gabriel Onibonoje, a veteran Yoruba literary icon, and the announcement of the winners of the third edition of the Atelewo Prize for Yoruba Literature.

In his speech, Lalude commended the efforts of the cultural group in promoting the Yoruba language and culture through the ‘Ogbontarigi Docuseries Project’ and the Atelewo Prize for Yoruba Literature. He also congratulated the winners of the prize, encouraging them to continue in their pursuit of excellence.

Advertisement

He said, “I want to urge Yoruba writers to be more creative and innovative in their writing. The more creative works we have in the Yoruba language, the more it will improve the quality of Yoruba stories in Nollywood. So, let us continue to tell stories that capture the essence of the Yoruba culture and be more creative in our approach to writing.”

The winners of the literature prize were also announced at the event. Mr. Babatunde Shittu was declared the overall winner for his entry in the drama category titled “Láàdì” and received a cash prize of N250,000.

Jimoh Aderoju was shortlisted for his manuscript ‘Àròfọ̀ Àsìkò; Alimi Omosalewa for her Yoruba translation of ‘Women of Owu’ by Prof. Femi Osofisan to ‘Awon Obinrin Owu,’ and Rasheed Adeniyi for his manuscript titled ‘Nǹkán Yan.’ All runners-up received N100,000 each.

Lalude also spoke about the importance of preserving and promoting the Yoruba language and culture through literature. He noted that Yoruba writers had the responsibility to ensure that the language and culture continued to thrive, and called on them to be more creative and innovative in their writing.

The launching of the documentary on the life of late Pa Onibonoje was another highlight of the event. The 45-minute documentary gave an insight into his birth, his early beginnings, how he started his publishing empire, the challenges, the successes, and his contribution to indigenous publishing up to the time he retired from active business.