Soyinka in spotlight as Winestitute hosts wine auction

Top dignitaries across the country have expressed satisfaction over Nigeria’s first wine auction hosted by Nero and Vivian Asibelua of Winestitute.

The event, which hosted living legend Professor Wole Soyinka as part of activities surrounding his 85th birthday took place in Lagos.

Organised simultaneously to raise funds for the Nobel Laureate’s foundation- ‘Wole Soyinka Foundation’, the wine auction was, indeed, unique as it is a first of its kind in Nigeria.

Soyinka said: “Since my birthday came along; I have always been feeling ungracious, that other people celebrate my birthday, more than I do. For me, it’s a pain! Except for this one. I’ve been enjoying this one, because of this event”.

‘ Wine Auctioning’ dated back the 17th Century and it’s presently pacing the billion-dollar venture. But for the record, Winestitute Nigeria and Wole Soyinka Foundation remain the first to auction premium wines in Nigeria, and what a noble way to do it than in the presence of top players in the country.

The 200 bottles of wine, which were specially made for the enigmatic event were serially numbered and each had Soyinka’s signature signed on it.

The bottles equally carried a poem written by the foremost African Noble Laureate on the neck of each bottle.

In attendance were Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, Professor Duro Oni, JP Clark and wife, Ebun Clark, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Rotimi Amaechi, Bolanle Austen-Peters, Erelu Dosumu, Tonye Cole, and Dr. Newton Jibunoh and many more.