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Performance artists, art lovers and literary enthusiasts converged at the Alliance Française de Lagos, Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi on Saturday, July 19, 2025 for the Naija Poetry Fest—an evening steeped in soul-stirring brilliance, memory, rhythm, and truth.
The theme, “The Politics of Memory: Healing Through Remembering,” anchored by Adesewa Alagbala, was not merely a title but a transformative journey. Through poetry, music, visual art, and storytelling, the evening unfolded like a collective exhale, pulling its audience into deep reflection and release.
Lanre Sonde’s False Witnesses whispered haunting truths through surreal, earthy visuals. With its echoes of erasure, deception, and fragile remembrance, the work held the room in reverent silence. More than an exhibit, it was memory forged in form—an artistic lament and a protest carved in color. As ambient music by rising sound artist Kanabeatz (Akinola Okikiola) washed over the gallery, guests moved like pilgrims—reading, pausing, whispering, and weeping.
Poetry, that night, broke free of the stage. It became something visceral—something that lingered behind the eyes, something you carried in your chest.
The program assembled a constellation of powerful voices. Adeniyi Nehemiah Aromolaran, Executive Director of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation and author of “Leading With Impact,” delivered a keynote that stirred the soul. For him, memory was not just history, but a weapon for healing and a tool for resistance. His charge was unmistakable: we must remember, to reclaim with purpose.
Then came the music—fierce, unfiltered, alive. Africanboyvibes electrified the room with his message-driven rhythm, pulling the audience to its feet in joyful protest. Holyspice followed, weaving spoken word and melody into a seamless tapestry, rich with the unmistakable essence of home. Each note, each lyric, arrived like a balm and a mirror.
The evening swelled to a poignant crescendo with guest artist Fortune Adelekan Olademeji, whose raw, evocative art cut through the world’s noise, landing deep in the heart. His works were both a cry and a comfort.
The open mic session brought the evening full circle. Emerging voices—trembling yet fierce, tender yet bold—stood where giants had just spoken, sharing stories of grief, grit, love, and becoming. In that moment, it ceased to feel like an event; it felt like home.
Reflecting on the night, Godson Osarenren, convener of Naija Poetry Fest, offered a quiet truth:
“What we are building here is more than a stage. It’s a community. A place where truth can breathe, where memories matter, and where healing begins through art. Seeing how people responded tonight, I know we’re on the right path.”
Indeed, Naija Poetry Fest proved once again that poetry in Nigeria is not merely surviving—it is rising. Bridging generations from Gen Alpha to boomers, the festival stitched together voices, hearts, and histories. And on this unforgettable night, Lagos did not just listen—it felt every word, every silence, every beat.
