Globacom to Sponsor Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa 2012

Nigerian telecoms company, Globacom, is making a buzz with its decision to sponsor the 2012 edition of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa, worth $20,000. The award, instituted in honour of Nigerian literary giant Soyinka, black Africa’s first winner of the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature (1986), was launched in 2005 and it is in its fourth edition. The Globacom sponsorship is good news for the literary circle in Africa because it is likely to ensure that the award is sustainable in the long term. The company should, therefore, be applauded for the gesture.

At the event organised in Lagos this week to announce the company’s support for the award, the Director of Event and Sponsorship, Globacom, Bode Opeseitan, said, “Globacom and our beloved Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, share similar aspirations in terms of developing a strong and virile Africa. Prof Soyinka generally explores the medium of literary works to develop human capital across society and cultures, while Globacom has continued to create value with its products and services that enrich the lives of the average African.”

Thinking Africa is a plus for the company’s ambition to be perceived as a global enterprise. It is a corporate projection that serves not only the image of the company, but also amounts to a positive representation for the country. In addition, it demonstrates that the company’s public relations strategy is sufficiently sensitive to take into account an otherwise downplayed area of human endeavour, the literary arts.

True, the company has gained a reputation for festival sponsorship and backing for the   entertainment sector. For instance, it funds popular Nigerian fiestas like Ojude Oba in Ijebu-Ode, Lisabi in Abeokuta and Ofala in Onitsha as well as FITHEB, the biggest cultural festival in Benin Republic. Also on the Globacom agenda is the movie industry in Nigeria (Nollywood) and Ghana (Ghollywood). This involvement in the crowd-pulling sectors is understandable given the company’s mass market services.

Literature is usually perceived, perhaps incorrectly, as not so far-reaching; and it is therefore not so attractive to corporate sponsors when they are considering where to put their money for best results. This is an important reason why Globacom’s commitment to the Soyinka literary award is not only attention-grabbing but also heart-warming. Corporate sponsorship of the literary arts is not pronounced in the country, and there are only a few commendable examples in this neglected sector. The corporate champions in this area that easily come to mind are the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG),   Nigerian Breweries Limited (NBL) and Fidelity Bank, which regularly support projects that have to do with writing and reading.

It is praiseworthy that Globacom has decided to put its money on a literary project that even transcends the shores of the country and covers the entire continent of Africa. In the award shortlist of 15 writers released by the organisers, eight are Nigerians; the others are from Liberia, South Africa, Mali, Uganda, The Gambia and Kenya. Although the prize has so far been dominated by Nigerians, which is a positive development for the country, its African inclusiveness cannot be dismissed as a mere claim.

What will become of the country, and indeed Africa which is perceived as a backward continent, in the 21st century without the promotion of writing, and by extension, reading? Literacy is believed to be significant in civilising the human mind, and literature, which is a product of the human imagination, plays a vital role in the development of the human mind and in the promotion of human virtues as well as social values. No doubt, we need to pay more attention to literacy, and we hope that the continuity of this literary award will contribute to the evolution of a literate society. 

The Nation Newspaper, http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/editorial/56131-glo%E2%80%99s-worthy-support.html