The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Obi Asika, has said that a national poetry competition in honour of the late poet, Christopher Okigbo, will be launched in 2026. He said this on Thursday, August 28, at the event to commemorate the induction of Christopher Okigbo into the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
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The event was organised by the Christopher Okigbo Foundation, in partnership with UNESCO Nigeria and the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), at the UNESCO Nigeria Office, Constitution Avenue, Abuja.
The gathering marked the 18th anniversary of the late poet’s manuscripts being inscribed into UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register — a global milestone that not only preserves Nigeria’s literary heritage but also affirms Okigbo’s place as one of Africa’s most influential modernist voices.
Christopher Okigbo (1932–1967), widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest poets, was remembered for his blend of Igbo spirituality and modernist technique, and for the enduring legacy he left behind after his death during the Nigerian Civil War.
Special guests included Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka and Her Royal Majesty Onyebuchi Okonkwo, Omu of Obior Kingdom, Delta State. Other participants included writers, scholars, artists, and cultural advocates who gathered to honour Okigbo’s voice.
The event featured poetry recitals, panel discussions, musical interludes, and the presentation of “Songs of a Weaverbird,” curated by Krydz Ikwuemesi. There was also an audio playback of Okigbo’s own recorded voice from 1964, giving attendees a rare connection to the poet himself.
According to keynote speaker Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, literature is “slowly drifting away from Africa because of outdated teaching methods and lack of parental encouragement.” He noted the urgency of reviving reading culture, stressing that “the unemployed are the most important in society; without knowledge, they cannot serve humanity.”
Director-General of NCAC, Obi Asika, reinforced this by announcing plans to launch a national competition in Okigbo’s name, saying, “Authentic storytelling is the most powerful tool we have as Africans. We must use our culture to inspire young people.”
Panelist Prof. Ogaga Ifowodo highlighted the permanence of art, reciting lines from Okigbo’s “Elegy for Alto.”
“An old star departs, leaves us here on the shore… gazing heavenward for a new star approaching.” He reminded the audience that art endures beyond the lives of its creators.
Closing the ceremony, Her Royal Majesty Onyebuchi Okonkwo reaffirmed the need to keep Okigbo’s voice alive for future generations. In a moving finale, Chief Patrick Oguejiofor, Obi Okigbo, Mc Jerry Adesewo, and Dr. Lizi Ben paid their last respects by reciting a poem in Okigbo’s mother tongue, Igbo.
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