Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has received the esteemed PINK Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his remarkable contributions to humanity.
The PINK Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Professor Soyinka on Tuesday at the Wole Soyinka Theatre, University of Ibadan during its 2024 Convocation and 76th Foundation Day celebrations.
The award, representing Prestige, Integrity, Nobility, and Knowledge recognizes Soyinka’s significant contributions to literature, knowledge, and society.
Dr. Veronica Okei, founder of the PINK Award, praised Soyinka as a “living legend” and a monumental figure for Nigeria.
Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, president of Women Arise for Change Initiative and promoter of the PINK Award, highlighted Soyinka’s unparalleled influence on human rights and social activism over the past six decades, calling him “an enigma, a man of the people, and a figure whose legacy will endure.”
Soyinka humorously noted that while he appreciated the meaning behind the PINK acronym, pink was not his favorite color. Nevertheless, he expressed his gratitude and promised to celebrate privately with “pink champagnes.”
The Vice Chancellor of UI, Professor Kayode Adebowale, underscored Soyinka’s enduring legacy at the university, recalling that Soyinka’s name is synonymous with the institution.
He also disclosed plans to establish the Wole Soyinka Institute at UI, dedicated to studying the playwright’s works. Additionally, the university will join the Wole Soyinka Foundation in managing his Abeokuta residence.
During the convocation ceremony, Soyinka’s play *Canticles for a Pyre Foretold* was staged, telling the tragic story of Deborah Emmanuel, a young woman killed for blasphemy, alongside issues like child marriage and religious extremism in Nigeria. The play challenges the erosion of religious tolerance and the sanctity of human life.
Dr. Tunde Awosanmi, the play’s director, described *Canticles* as a realistic satire that critiques the misuse of religion and spirituality. He emphasized that Soyinka’s work challenges all forms of religious intolerance and advocates for a more humanistic approach to faith.
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