PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has paid glowing tributes to Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, a professor, on his 91st birthday, calling him a lasting source of inspiration to both Nigeria and the world.  

In a statement released on Sunday, July 13, by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu commended Soyinka’s lifelong dedication to literature, human rights, and national development.

He described the renowned playwright, poet, and essayist as a towering figure whose impact spans generations and global audiences.

“President Bola Tinubu has extended his good wishes to Professor Wole Soyinka, the globally renowned literary icon and Nobel Laureate, as he celebrates his birthday today.

“Professor Soyinka, a well-decorated literary giant, activist, cultural icon, and public intellectual who turns 91, is known for his extraordinary creative and artistic talent, evident in his plays, poems, memoirs, essays, and other artistic productions,” the statement read in part.

The president also recognised Soyinka’s long-standing contributions to education, cultural diplomacy, and Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement, highlighting his role in shaping national discourse and advocating for justice over the decades.

“President Tinubu notes the contributions of the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986 to education, pro-democracy and human rights movements, cultural diplomacy, and nation-building over the last several decades.”

Fatimah QUADRI

Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org