ANA @45: Towards a national renaissance

By Zayd Ibn Isah

I had my first experience as a panellist at the 45th Association of Nigerian Authors’ Conference and Convention, and what an incredible experience it was.

The invitation from the amiable President of ANA, Associate Professor Usman Oladipo Akanbi, to serve as a panellist came unexpectedly. My path first crossed with that of the ANA President when I was working in Kwara State. It was my friend, Adamu Danjuma, who recently completed his PhD programme at the University of Alabama, USA, who introduced me to him when I was looking for a venue to launch my first published book, We Are All Guilty, a drama I wrote in 2016 as an undergraduate.

Dr Akanbi not only offered me his late father’s foundation as a free venue for the book launch but also supported me by inviting dignitaries, including the erudite lawyer Yusuf Ali, SAN, who served as the chief launcher and made a generous donation.

My relationship with the ANA President has gone beyond the book launch stage, and I am now more like a family member to him. So, when he called to inform me that the retired Commissioner of Police, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, a man I hold in high esteem, had withdrawn at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, he asked me to replace him. I had to take up the gauntlet.

The theme of this year’s convention was Literature, National Security and the Place of Nigeria in the World. The session was moderated by the great Okoh Diego Okenyodo. Although I first saw Mr Okoh Diego in Ibadan during a conference organised by my late boss, IGP Solomon Arase (rtd.), who was then the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, I did not approach him to introduce myself as the media aide to the late IGP Arase. Perhaps that was why he only mentioned that I had worked with IGP Kayode Egbetokun and was equally working with the current IGP, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, without mentioning that I had once served as media aide to the late IGP Solomon Arase (rtd.).

Now, back to the main talking point. I felt jittery as soon as I climbed the stage and walked past the moderator and the keynote speaker, Professor Mahfouz Adedimeji, whom I sat close to. The Professor delivered an explosive speech. The part that appealed to me most was his discussion of the single-story narrative. The representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation also spoke exceptionally well. It was a gathering of literary oracles, great men and women who have paid their dues in the literary world.

The theme of the conference was quite instructive, timely and, at the same time, long overdue, as I stated in my submission. It reminded me of Chinua Achebe’s famous observation in Morning Yet on Creation Day. Achebe argued that an African creative writer who tries to avoid the big social and political issues of contemporary Africa will end up being completely irrelevant, like the absurd man in the proverb who leaves his burning house to pursue a rat fleeing from the flames.

This quotation remains germane to our understanding of the responsibility of an African writer. Writers, anywhere in the world, are the conscience of the societies in which they live. They serve as watchdogs. At a time when the country is grappling with a myriad of challenges, writers cannot afford to be indifferent.

As Haile Selassie said, “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”

If you look at the generation of writers represented by Professors Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka, you will find that they spoke truth to power without fear or favour. They even suffered undue persecution as a result. Unfortunately, the current generation of writers has not done enough, and this has allowed the very evil Haile Selassie warned against to triumph.

The moderator asked me about the inaccessibility of literature to ordinary Nigerians and whether the government was to blame. I answered that it was not really the government’s fault because we now live in a digital age. What we should be concerned about is the dying reading culture and the misplaced priorities of the average Nigerian.

I gave the example of Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) and the Nigerian Prize for Literature, organised by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), to illustrate how citizens often prioritise BBNaija over literary excellence. While reality television attracts enormous public attention, the Nigerian Prize for Literature does not always receive comparable recognition. The government, in turn, has chosen to play to the gallery rather than do enough to promote a reading culture and take literary development seriously.

The final question was what I would do to make the government take literary institutions seriously. My answer was simple: I would do my best to ensure that the government prioritised literary institutions. I concluded by saying that the government knows what to do.

In a country with a ministry responsible for the creative economy, writers should not have to beg for a place at the table. In fact, a writers’ body like ANA should not have to seek government patronage. Doing so risks compromising its independence, and the vision of its founding fathers could be defeated in the process.

Talking about the place of Nigeria in the world, it is no news that the country has lost some of its pride of place among the comity of nations. However, as writers and citizens, we have a role to play in ensuring that the single-story narrative of corruption, insecurity, 419 and other vices associated with Nigeria does not overshadow the country’s positive attributes. No country is perfect. Even first-world countries have their dirty linen, but they don’t wash it in public, just as we do ours. As writers, we must tell the Nigerian story in its entirety, acknowledging our challenges without allowing them to overshadow the good things about our country.

That said, one must commend the current ANA President for the great work he has done since taking over the mantle of leadership. He came in at a time when the Association was struggling to find its footing amid warring factions. He seems to have steadied the ship by building bridges across the board, even though there are still some discordant tones from within. The important thing is to sustain the progress made, strengthen the Association and ensure that personal differences do not overshadow the collective purpose for which ANA was established.

Despite the challenges, I believe the future of ANA is bright if the current leadership continues to build on the progress it has made. Differences are inevitable in any institution, but what matters is the ability to resolve them in the collective interest of the Association. ANA must remain a platform where writers can disagree without losing sight of the greater responsibility they owe society.

Ultimately, a national renaissance cannot happen without a literary renaissance. A nation that neglects its writers risks losing an important part of its conscience, history and identity. Literature does more than entertain; it questions power, challenges injustice, preserves our collective memory and inspires future generations to imagine a better society. As Chinua Achebe reminded us, African writers cannot afford to turn away from the realities of their societies.

The question, therefore, is not whether literature has a place in Nigeria’s national development, but whether we are ready to give it the place it deserves.

Zayd Ibn Isah can be reached at Lawcadet1@gmail.com