Abuja Opens A New Chapter As Literature & Ideas Take Centre Stage
New Festival Creates Space for Literature & Public Debate
ABUJA has welcomed a new platform for literary expression and intellectual exchange with the launch of the inaugural Abuja Festival of Literature and Ideas (AFLI). The two-day event brings together writers, intellectuals, cultural practitioners and international participants to examine literature, politics, technology, peace and the future of society.
Organised by the Book Buzz Foundation in collaboration with the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, the festival also receives support from European diplomatic missions. Its organisers intend to strengthen cultural exchange while creating room for conversations about issues affecting Nigeria and the wider world.
Beyond celebrating books and creative writing, AFLI seeks to establish literature as an important part of public engagement. Its programme connects artistic expression with questions about social divisions, freedom, artificial intelligence, scientific progress and the changing relationship between technology and human creativity.
Shoneyin Advocates a Stronger Literary Presence in Abuja
Speaking at the opening, the Director of the Book Buzz Foundation, Lola Shoneyin, said Abuja deserved a world-class literary festival because culture and creativity contributed significantly to a city’s development.
Drawing on her experience of living and working in the Federal Capital Territory for three years, Shoneyin observed that Abuja had an enthusiastic cultural audience but needed more platforms to encourage literary activity, creative expression and intellectual engagement.
She explained that the festival was conceived to connect international thinkers and global perspectives with Nigerian experiences. Although the programme welcomes ideas from different parts of the world, its organisers intend to preserve a distinct Nigerian identity.
The festival’s approach reflects an ambition to move beyond conventional literary gatherings. By bringing literature into conversations about politics, society, science and technology, AFLI seeks to demonstrate how books, poetry and critical thinking can contribute to public understanding.
Ladi Kwali’s Legacy Shapes the Festival’s Identity
The festival’s visual identity also draws attention to Nigeria’s artistic heritage. Shoneyin said its logo pays tribute to Ladi Kwali, the internationally recognised Nigerian potter from Kwali, whose work combined traditional Gbagyi pottery techniques with modern studio pottery.
Kwali’s recognition beyond Nigeria provides a fitting reference point for a festival seeking to connect local creativity with international audiences. Her artistic career illustrates how cultural traditions can retain their distinctiveness while engaging with new methods and wider artistic communities.
By choosing Kwali as a source of inspiration, AFLI places Nigerian creativity at the centre of its identity. The gesture also reinforces the festival’s intention to celebrate the country’s cultural heritage without limiting its conversations to national boundaries.
Northern Nigerian Voices & Women Writers in Focus
The programme also seeks to widen participation in Nigeria’s literary landscape. According to Shoneyin, the festival will provide opportunities for young people from Northern Nigeria to express their aspirations while helping women writers from the region strengthen their visibility.
This focus gives the event a broader cultural significance. Literary festivals can create opportunities for writers to meet audiences, exchange ideas and develop professional relationships. They can also help bring perspectives from underrepresented communities into national conversations.
For Northern Nigerian writers and young creative voices, such platforms can offer an avenue to engage with readers and fellow artists beyond their immediate communities. The organisers’ emphasis on women’s participation similarly draws attention to the importance of broadening representation within literary spaces.
European Union Backs Cultural Exchange & Creative Enterprise
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, described the festival as an important step towards expanding cultural activities beyond Lagos, particularly in Northern Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the EU and its member states viewed culture as a means of promoting mutual understanding, shared values and economic opportunities for creative professionals and cultural institutions.
Mignot commended Shoneyin and the Book Buzz Foundation for developing the festival. He also acknowledged the contributions of the Italian, Spanish and Swedish diplomatic missions.
According to the ambassador, the EU has supported cultural initiatives across Nigeria, including film festivals, creative-industry events and programmes designed to encourage collaboration between African and European artists.
He also highlighted the EU’s support for the Nigerian Picture Book Project, which recently unveiled 20 picture books produced by Nigerian writers and illustrators for children across the country.
These initiatives reflect a wider interest in strengthening the creative economy by supporting artists, expanding audiences and developing partnerships across national and regional boundaries.
Colombia’s Peace Process Enters the Conversation
Peacebuilding and conflict resolution formed another important part of the festival’s programme. Mignot welcomed Sergio Jaramillo, Colombia’s former High Commissioner for Peace, whose participation was expected to bring perspectives from Colombia’s peace process into discussions about conflict and reconciliation.
Jaramillo’s experience offered an opportunity to examine how societies confront violence, negotiate peace and address the difficult work of building stability after conflict. These questions also resonate with Nigeria’s continuing security challenges, although the country’s circumstances differ from Colombia’s historical and political experience.
A panel featuring Jaramillo and Richard Ali explored peace and conflict, drawing on Colombia’s experience and the broader challenges of achieving lasting peace.
Mignot also emphasised literature’s potential to challenge destructive ideologies and encourage a more peaceful society. He argued that books and ideas could provide the inspiration and moral resources needed to build a better world.
The discussions demonstrated the festival’s intention to connect cultural expression with practical questions about public life. Literature cannot independently resolve political violence or insecurity, but it can create spaces for reflection, expose competing perspectives and encourage conversations about human dignity and coexistence.
Abuja’s Literary Ambitions
Book conversations, poetry sessions and additional panel discussions formed part of the two-day programme, extending the festival beyond its opening ceremony.
For Abuja, the event represents an effort to strengthen the city’s place within Nigeria’s cultural and intellectual life. Its long-term significance, however, will depend on more than the success of an inaugural gathering.
Sustained editions, consistent support for emerging writers, wider public participation and opportunities for literary collaboration could help turn the festival into a lasting cultural institution.
AFLI’s debut therefore raises a broader question about the future of literary engagement in Nigeria: how can festivals move from occasional celebrations into platforms that support writers, connect communities and sustain serious public debate?
By bringing Nigerian creativity into conversation with international ideas, the Abuja festival has established an opening for that discussion. Whether it develops into a durable fixture of the country’s cultural calendar will depend on how effectively its organisers build on the connections and ambitions introduced at its launch.
