Chinwendu Uzoatu, Awka
The Anambra State chapter of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW) has celebrated the 2025 Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture. The 10th edition of the annual event had the theme: “Revisiting The Trouble With Nigeria: The Achebean Perspective.”
Held at the Anambra State Central E-Library, Awka, the festival attracted students, writers, and notable dignitaries.
In his welcome address, the state coordinator of SYNW, Mr. Izunna Okafor, said the event was not only aimed at honouring the late literary icon, Chinua Achebe, and his globally acclaimed works but also at promoting creative writing and a strong reading culture among young people. He added that the programme serves as a platform for discovering emerging talents and showcasing literature as both a mirror and healer of society.
Okafor appealed to the Anambra State Government and public-spirited individuals to support and sponsor the festival to keep Achebe’s legacies alive. He further urged the government to establish a writers’ residency and provide the association with a vehicle for mobility.
The keynote speaker, Prof. Ngozi-Chuma Udeh, Anambra State Commissioner for Education, represented by Dr. Brian Udeh, highlighted Achebe’s profound role in reshaping global understanding of pre-colonial Africa—especially Igbo society—as a well-organized and functional civilization before colonial intrusion. She noted that Achebe’s works continue to give Africa pride of place in world literature.
Chairman of the occasion, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, and the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, in their separate remarks, emphasized the importance of education and encouraged students to take their studies seriously in order to make meaningful contributions like Achebe. They also commended Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo for his strides in the education sector.
Former presidential aspirant Mr. Peter Obi, represented by Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna; the Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Entertainment, Comrade Don Onyenji; the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Soludo, Mr. Charles Aburime, represented by Rev. Ejike Abana; and former Director, Anambra State Library Board, Dr. Nkechi Udeze, all paid glowing tributes to Achebe’s legacies. They urged students to emulate his discipline, vision, and commitment to learning.
Other dignitaries in attendance also commended Achebe’s enduring influence on literature and society while charging young people to uphold the values he represented.
Highlights of the event included an essay competition, poetry performances, and the unveiling of the 10th Chinua Achebe Poetry and Essay Anthology.
