‘Native Intelligence’: Aké Festival Brings African Writers Face To Face With AI & The Future Of Creativity
ARTIFICIAL intelligence, indigenous knowledge and the future of African literary expression will dominate discussions at the 14th Aké Arts and Book Festival, scheduled to hold in Lagos from 19 to 21 November 2026.
Under the theme, ‘Native Intelligence’, the three-day gathering will feature 24 events, including book chats, panel discussions, film screenings, concerts and poetry performances. Organisers expect writers, publishers, artists, readers and other creative professionals from Africa and the diaspora to participate.
Festival Founder, Lola Shoneyin, announced the programme during a press conference at Ouida Bookstore, Opebi, Lagos. She also acknowledged the contributions of the festival’s longstanding partners, Sterling Bank and the Open Society Foundations.
According to Shoneyin, the organisers have arranged eight events daily at Silkwood Hotel, 261 Sobo Arobiodu Street, Ikeja GRA, the festival’s venue.
She recalled the festival’s beginnings in Abeokuta and highlighted its partnership with Sterling Bank, which started in 2017. For her, the continued growth of the event demonstrates the importance of sustained support for African literature and the creative industries.
The growing debate over AI & African literary identity
Artificial intelligence will occupy a central place in this year’s discussions, particularly amid increasing controversy over allegations that writers rely on the technology to produce their books.
One of the most prominent conversations will involve Nigerian writer Jerry Falade, whose book, Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body, reportedly attracted a $2 million publishing deal before reports emerged that the deal had been withdrawn following allegations of AI-generated writing.
Falade is expected to join the discussion and respond to the controversy. Shoneyin said the organisers considered the issue too important to ignore, especially as accusations of AI use increasingly affect writers and their professional reputations.
However, she disputed the allegations against Falade, describing them as unfounded. She also criticised what she considers a growing tendency to mistake distinctive literary styles for artificial intelligence-generated writing.
In her view, African writers often draw on indigenous languages, cultural experiences and local expressions when writing in English. Therefore, their unusual sentence constructions and linguistic patterns should not automatically be treated as evidence of AI use.
Shoneyin argued that the literary community must understand the cultural and linguistic influences behind individual writing styles before making such accusations.
The African Speculative Fiction Society will also collaborate with the festival to host a separate panel on AI and creativity. Together, these sessions will explore how technological developments may affect authorship, originality and the future of African storytelling.
Eleven book conversations & a celebration of the arts
While technology will provide one of the festival’s central talking points, organisers have also prepared an extensive programme celebrating books and other artistic expressions.
The schedule includes 11 book conversations involving Nigerian writers and authors from the diaspora. Igoni Barrett and Chika Unigwe are among the featured literary personalities. Unigwe will discuss her new book, Grace, while Khadija Sanusi’s The Most Unremarkable Things is another featured title.
Furthermore, the opening evening will feature a concert after the festival’s opening ceremony and initial literary activities. On the second evening, participants will watch How to Build a Library, a documentary celebrating two women in Kenya who are renovating and restoring libraries.
Shoneyin described the documentary as an internationally recognised production that has won several awards. Its inclusion also reinforces the festival’s wider interest in reading culture, access to books and the preservation of literary spaces.
For the closing celebration, the organisers will stage the Palmwine and Poetry session, a popular gathering of poets and musicians from Nigeria and beyond.
The session has previously attracted major literary figures. At last year’s edition, Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka joined other established and emerging poets, adding to the event’s appeal.
Caine Prize & Granta bring international literary connections
Beyond individual book discussions, the festival will strengthen its international literary partnerships through collaborations with the Caine Prize and Granta magazine.
The Caine Prize will host a panel examining its contribution to African literature. Among the participants will be two previous winners: Irenosen Okojie, who won in 2020 with Grace Jones, and Rotimi Babatunde, whose Bombay’s Republic earned him the prize in 2012.
Similarly, Granta is preparing a special Nigerian edition featuring fiction, non-fiction, poetry, photography and interviews with Nigerian creative personalities.
Shoneyin said the partnerships would help connect African writers and artists with wider international audiences. They would also provide additional platforms for promoting Nigerian and African literary works.
Sterling Bank renews support amid rising festival costs
The festival’s growing programme comes with significant financial demands. Shoneyin identified the rising costs of international flight tickets and accommodation as some of the most difficult challenges facing organisers of literary events in Nigeria.
She therefore expressed appreciation to Sterling Bank and the Open Society Foundations for their continued support. According to her, their contributions have helped sustain the festival despite the increasing costs of bringing international guests to the country.
Sterling Bank’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Donatus Okpako, also reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting education, literacy, the arts and African culture.
He explained that the partnership reflected Sterling Bank’s determination to promote African knowledge and creative expression. Moreover, he said the festival’s theme was particularly relevant because artificial intelligence was transforming education, knowledge production and several areas of human activity.
Okpako maintained that education and innovation remained important tools for bridging Africa’s knowledge gap. He added that the bank would continue to support initiatives that strengthen literary and creative communities.
Lagos offers book grants as festival expands diaspora engagement
In another major announcement, Shoneyin disclosed that the Lagos State Government would provide 100 young festival participants with book grants worth ₦20,000 each.
The initiative targets registered attendees below the age of 25. Beneficiaries will be able to redeem their grants at the festival’s bookshop, thereby encouraging young people to acquire books and participate more actively in literary activities.
Shoneyin welcomed the state government’s involvement and commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals, Dr. Oreoluwa Fiyin, for their support.
She described government participation as important to the growth of the creative sector, noting that cultural activities contribute to the social and economic development of communities.
The founder also highlighted the Aké Festival Ambassadors initiative, which has encouraged Nigerians and Africans living in the United Kingdom to reconnect with their cultural heritage by visiting Nigeria.
According to her, as many as 10 groups have expressed interest in attending the festival and exploring the country’s cultural and artistic offerings. The initiative also seeks to respond to diaspora concerns about insecurity and promote renewed cultural engagement.
Shoneyin pointed to the increasing number of cultural events in Lagos, including Art X Lagos and Lagos Fashion Week, as evidence of growing recognition of the creative industries’ importance.
As the festival approaches, its programme promises to bring together questions of technology, identity, literary ownership and cultural preservation. Ultimately, the organisers hope that ‘Native Intelligence’ will encourage a deeper appreciation of African creativity while examining how writers and artists can navigate a rapidly changing technological world.
