By Henry Akubuiro
For the second time in history, the Mamman Vatsa Writers’ Village, Mpampe, Abuja, will host the annual convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Africa’s largest writers’ guild, slated for October 26-29, 2022.
A themed litfest predicated, this year, on “Literature and National Consciousness: The Story as a Catalyst”, the convention will draw writers, critics and book lovers from within and outside Nigeria. Already, ANA has announced 18 new fellows and three honorary fellows to be inducted at the forthcoming convention. Professors Akachi Ezeigbo, Sunday Ododo, Ifeoma Okoye, Mabel Evwierhoma and Dr. Wale Okediran were among the esteemed cast of recipients who were honoured in recent times. The last set of fellows were inducted at the Mamman Vatsa Writers Village, Mpampe, Abuja, venue of the 40th ANA Convention last year.
This year, the number of fellows have been increased to a record number, and they include some interesting names which have resonated for decades on the Nigerian literary scene either as writers or scholars, or both.
They include Professors Udenta Udenta, Nduka Otiono, Tess Onwueme, Anaezi Okoro, Abdul Rasheed Na’Alla, Moses Tsenongo, Razinat Mohammed, Vicky Sylvester, Amanze Akpuda, Yusuf Adamu, Mark Nwagu, and Dul Johnson. Others include Drs. Emmanuel CS Ojukwu, John Asien, Tony Marino, Engineer Emmanuel Frank Opigo and Lindsay Barret. The list also include the academics, Professor Chidi Osuagwu and Dr. Zainab T. Ahmed, as well as Engineer Abubakar Maigandi, as honorary fellows.
Literary giants, like Prof. Chinua Achebe, JP Clark, Femi Osofisan, Mabel Segun and Zainab Alkali, have also been honoured in the past. So were Prof Idris Amali; former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, and former NAFDAC boss, Dora Akunyili.
ANA President, Camillus Ukah, in a chat with The Sun Literary Review, said the list was expanded this year to include some notable members of the Nigerian literary community based in the country and those in diaspora as a way of increasing the diasporic influence of the association.
He stressed that the fellowship “is conferred upon deserving individuals for dedicated service to the association and proven contribution to the development of Nigerian literature. It is about abundant inventiveness in literature and support for the arts.”
ANA General Secretary, Maik Ortserga, in a statement, hopes that the nominees “will accept their nominations in good faith and continue to render the selfless service that is the basis of the Fellowship nomination.”
To show how important the association leadership considers the fellows, ANA President, Camillus Ukah, informed that they had been added to the venerated league of Council of ANA Fellowship, considered as “the elders/ elite group within the association,” and are expected to function as such.
One of the latest inductees, Prof Nduka Otiono, who served as ANA General Secretary during the tenure of Prof Olu Obafemi, has expressed delight at the honour for the modest efforts he put into “the development of ANA as the General Secretary at a critical turn in the association’s history.”
Now a professor of African Studies at Carleton University, Canada, the elated Prof Otiono noted: “I also feel valued for my life-long commitment to the development of Nigerian literature as an institution builder, literary journalist, writer and scholar. The implication for me is that in acknowledging and officially celebrating my contributions to the literary arts in Nigeria, I am encouraged to do more to the best of my abilities.”
Others, the forthcoming annual convention of the association will also discuss a topic centered around Nigeria, “A Nation in a State of Critical Fervent”. In addition, the writers will have an opportunity to listen to the outcome of its constitution review committee.
In keeping with the scholarly tradition established by the association, justice to the theme of the convention is expected to be done by a guest lecturer, Professor Abdul Rasheed Na’Allah, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, who is also a renowned playwright and literary critic. The convention promises to be the biggest annual convention by ANA, as it will also involve the commissioning of the first batch of ANA hotels/apartments, informed Ukah. Also to be commissioned is the association’s new library. As a bonus, visitors to the annual convention will participate in a guided tour of the city of Abuja and the sprawling Mamman Vatsa Writers’ Village.
Meamwhile, Air Peace has been designated as the official carrier of delegates coming from different parts of the country for a subsidised fare of N60,000. Interested members are advised to liaise with ANA leadership for bookings.