Chimamanda, Akala, others for 2019 Fela Debates

Award Winning writer, Chimamanda Adiche, has been confirmed for this year’s Felabration Symposium known as The Fela Debates billed for Monday, October 14, 2019, at the NECA Events Center, Ikeja Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja.

To be held under the topic Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense, which was derived from one of Fela’s monster hit of same title, the symposium will also feature Kingslee James McLean Daley popularly known as Akala and Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, with author Sefi Atta as moderator.

The symposium is a segment of the famous Felabration Festival designed to intellectualise the Fela ideals and ideas. Over the years, the event has attracted some of the best minds of the Africa continent including Prof. Yemi Osinbajo Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Renowned activist and scholar, Prof. Patrick Lumumba of Kenya, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker, House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and others.

Born in Enugu on September 15, 1977, Adichie is a feminist Nigerian novelist, as well as a writer of short stories and of nonfiction, who grew up as the fifth of six children in an Igbo family in the university town of Nsukka in Enugu State. Her father James Nwoye Adichie was a professor of statistics at the University of Nigeria, while her mother Grace Ifeoma was the university’s first female registrar. The family lost almost everything during the Nigerian Civil War, including both maternal and paternal grandfathers. She will be sharing the Fela Debates’ Stage with erudite law teacher, Prof. Akin Oyebode, British activist, Akala, and Ugandan politician, Bobbi Wine.

The moderator Sefi Atta is a prize-winning Nigerian author and playwright. Her books have been translated into many languages, her radio plays have been broadcast by the BBC, while her stage plays have been performed internationally. Awards she has received include the 2006 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa and the 2009 Noma Award for Publishing in Africa.

This year’s edition promises to be an interesting session, as there will be contributions from renowned Felaists and activists such as Femi Falana (SAN), Ace Journalists Lanre Arogundade and Kunle Ajibade.

The event symbolises the kick off of the Felabration 2019 Carnivals. From the dusk of that Monday, the music events take off from 6pm to 5am every day for seven days with A-list musicians on the bill.