Providus Bank Hosts a Captivating World Poetry Day Celebration with Wole Soyinka
Providus Bank transformed this year’s World Poetry Day (WPD) celebration into a profound and unforgettable event, featuring spoken word and lyrical poetry. The event, “Evening with Wole Soyinka,” held at Terra Kulture in Victoria Island, Lagos, highlighted poetry’s role in fostering cultural connections, promoting linguistic diversity, and bridging social divides.
The 2025 WPD theme, “Sand Dunes and Ocean Bed: The Template of Dispersal,” resonated deeply with the shared history between Nigeria and Cuba, the invited nation. The theme sheds light on the forced displacement of Africans centuries ago, whose descendants continue to reconnect with their heritage through music, poetry, and cultural expressions. This aligned with UNESCO’s global focus for WPD 2025, “Poetry as a Bridge for Peace and Inclusion,” emphasising poetry’s timeless significance as a cultural and linguistic art form.
A Night of Poetry, Culture, and Reflection
The prestigious gathering attracted esteemed guests, including Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Miriam Morales Palmero, a Cuban delegation, and high-profile individuals. The Managing Director and CEO of Providus Bank, Mr. Walter Akpani, delivered a heartfelt speech, applauding Wole Soyinka for his dedication to curating the sixth edition of WPD and sustaining the Providus Bank Poetry Café, a platform that nurtures poetic talent.
Akpani emphasised poetry’s transformative impact, stating:
“Your diligence and passion in keeping the art of poetry alive through the Providus Bank Poetry Café is worthy of celebration. WPD 2025 is a day when voices converge to remind us that poetry is not just an art; it is a force of nature, a movement, and, in its purest form, an echo of the human spirit.”
He further elaborated on the event’s theme, likening it to shifting dunes and deep ocean beds, symbolising change, migration, and evolution. He encouraged poets to continue shaping narratives, fostering unity, and serving as cultural ambassadors.
Wole Soyinka Reflects on Displacement and Poetry’s Role in Society
Renowned literary icon Professor Wole Soyinka captivated the audience with thought-provoking insights on displacement, migration, and historical continuity. Before unveiling his latest musical poetry work-in-progress, Image in a Month of Abstinence, Soyinka remarked that the event should have been titled “An Evening with Cuba” in honour of Cuba’s role as the special guest nation.
Drawing attention to the realities of forced displacement, Soyinka referenced the demolition of Maroko, a once-thriving Lagos suburb, and linked it to the broader transatlantic slave trade. He emphasised that WPD 2025 was not just a celebration of poetry but also a tribute to the United Nations’ Decade of Remembrance for Enslaved Peoples and the commencement of a second decade dedicated to their descendants.
“This is why Cuba is here: both as a reminder of the tragic instance of our history on the African continent and as a spur to the continuing recollection that the task is not yet over. That aberration known as slavery is still very much with us, not only externally but internally on the African continent.”
A Celebration of Poetic Excellence
The evening featured stirring poetry performances from both Nigerian and Cuban poets, reinforcing the interconnectedness of cultures through artistic expression. Each poet delivered evocative pieces on migration, resilience, identity, and the enduring human spirit.
The event concluded with a call to action for poets and creatives to use their craft to inspire change, preserve history, and amplify the voices of the marginalised. Through the power of poetry, “Evening with Wole Soyinka” honoured the past while fostering meaningful conversations for a more inclusive and united future.
