(By Sylvester Asoya) - “The
Artist and the Tragedy of a Nation”
On March 28, 1991, the
late Professor ‘Zulu Sofola, Africa’s first female professor of Theatre Arts
delivered one of the most reflective and scholarly inaugural lectures in
Nigeria. Sofola, prolific playwright, astute administrator and scholar par
excellence was at the time, head of the Department of Performing Arts,
University of Ilorin. For those in the audience, the playwright’s superlative
performance was not only outstanding, it was also record-breaking.
An inaugural lecture is
an event of great importance in the life of every academic. It provides a rare
opportunity for the newly elevated professor to inform his or her colleagues, the
university community and the public of his or her research outcomes and plans
for the future. Sofola, who had returned from her sabbatical leave in the
United States two years earlier, used the occasion to speak, and eloquently
too, on the artiste and a nation on the edge.
In 1991, Nigeria’s
tragedy was not close to home. For instance, the chaos in public universities
today was only incubating and hope was not a scarce commodity. Apart from the
fact that there were a good number of Nigerians with discretionary incomes in
the middle class, prices of goods and services had not hit the roof, despite
Ibrahim Babangida’s voodoo economics. Today, ignorance, hopelessness,
ineptitude and disillusionment reign supreme and nothing is being done to
reduce poverty, promote inclusive growth or engender hope.
