Ekwuazi, Agema, Ipadeola Lead Star-Studded Line-Up for IBAFEST 2026

CELEBRATED poets Hyginus Ekwuazi and Su’eddie Vershima Agema will headline the opening activities of the 2026 Ibadan Book and Arts Festival (IBAFEST), which begins on Sunday 25 October.

Both writers will read from their recent poetry collections and engage audiences in literary conversations. Ekwuazi will present Fragments Salvaged from the Deluge, while Agema will read from I Stumble Inside Me Looking for Sunlight.

The opening event, themed around this year’s festival focus, The Stories We Long to Tell, will begin at 2:00 p.m. at RovingHeights Bookstore, Second Floor, Prime Mall, 33 Awolowo Avenue, Old Bodija, Ibadan.

The festival will then move into virtual activities on Thursday 29 October. Participants will join writing workshops featuring Romeo Oriogun, Wana Udobang and Stephen Okonkwo.

On Friday 30 October, the programme will continue with virtual book conversations involving 21 writers based in Nigeria and other parts of the world. The sessions will offer readers opportunities to engage with different literary voices and creative perspectives.

IBAFEST 2026 will culminate in a physical gathering on Saturday 31 October, at Olusegun Aganga Hall, International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan. Lawyer and 2013 winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature, Tade Ipadeola, will deliver the keynote address.

Ipadeola, author of The Sahara Testaments, will also feature in a conversation led by renowned polymath Dr. Tunde Adegbola. In addition, established and emerging writers will participate in panel discussions, writing workshops and creative performances.

The programme will also include a dedicated Schools Session for secondary school students, bringing young readers and aspiring writers into the festival’s literary activities.

Organisers have invited the public to participate in the festival and celebrate the stories, ideas and creative expressions that shape individuals and communities.

Interested participants can register for the opening book chat at https://tinyurl.com/ibafest-2026-opening-chat. Registration for other festival activities is available at https://bit.ly/ibafest2026.

The Sankofa Initiative for Culture and Development and Noirledge Publishing are jointly organising IBAFEST 2026 in collaboration with their partners. Through its mix of readings, discussions, workshops and performances, the festival aims to create space for literary exchange and celebrate Nigeria’s vibrant creative community.