By Simpson Global Media News Desk
Two-Day Festival Brings Literature, Identity and Global Ideas to the Capital
Abuja has taken a new step towards strengthening its cultural profile with the successful launch of the inaugural Abuja Festival of Literature and Ideas, a two-day gathering that brought writers, scholars, artists, policymakers and international thinkers together to examine issues shaping Nigerian society and the wider world.
The festival, organised by the Book Buzz Foundation, took place on October 9 and 10, 2026, at The Nordic in Jabi, Abuja. Its programme combined discussions about literature, African identity, democracy, peacebuilding, science and artificial intelligence, while creating space for conversations about the experiences and aspirations of younger Nigerians.
The initiative was developed to establish Nigeria’s capital as a stronger destination for literary and intellectual exchange. It was presented in partnership with the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, with participation from the embassies of Italy, Spain and Sweden.
Festival director Lola Shoneyin, who also founded the Book Buzz Foundation, described the gathering as an opportunity to bring Abuja into wider international conversations about books, ideas and culture.
Reporting on the opening on October 10, The Abuja Inquirer said the programme addressed the relationship between culture and public life, including reading habits, emerging technologies and opportunities for young people and women writers from Northern Nigeria.
The festival’s debut also reflected a broader ambition to make cultural activities more accessible beyond Lagos, which has long been one of Nigeria’s principal centres for publishing, film, music and contemporary art.
Sources: The Abuja Inquirer, October 10, 2026; The Guardian, September 26, 2026.
Lola Shoneyin’s Vision for Abuja
The festival represents the realisation of a longstanding ambition by Shoneyin to create a literary event in Abuja that could bring together writers, thinkers and readers from different backgrounds.
According to The Guardian, Shoneyin first conceived the idea approximately 14 years ago while organising Infusion, a monthly cultural gathering in Abuja that brought together music, art and other creative interests.
Her experience in literary programming later expanded through the Book Buzz Foundation, which organises initiatives intended to promote reading, writing and creative development.
The foundation is also associated with established literary events, including the Ake Arts and Book Festival and the Kaduna Book and Arts Festival. The Abuja gathering extends this work into the federal capital, where the organisers hope to establish a sustained platform for cultural discussion.
Shoneyin’s vision goes beyond organising another event on Nigeria’s cultural calendar. The ambition is to create a space where literature can connect with questions about politics, technology, social change and the ways people understand their own societies.
Books can provide a starting point for these conversations because they allow readers to encounter experiences beyond their immediate communities. A novel may explore migration or family relationships, while a memoir can illuminate the consequences of colonialism, conflict or political change.
Bringing such discussions into a shared public space can help audiences examine different perspectives and engage with difficult questions in a structured environment.
The festival’s international programme also offered an opportunity to compare Nigerian experiences with those of other countries, while maintaining a distinctly Nigerian cultural identity.
The long-term test for the initiative will be whether it can attract returning audiences, support local writers and creative professionals, and develop a sustainable programme beyond its inaugural edition.
Source: The Guardian.
Literature Takes Centre Stage in the Federal Capital
Literature was the foundation of the festival, but its programme treated reading and writing as part of a much broader cultural conversation.
The event brought together Nigerian and international writers, scholars and other participants to discuss books, historical experience, political ideas and the changing conditions of creative work.
This approach reflects the fact that literature can serve several purposes. It can entertain, preserve memories, document social change and provide a means of examining the values that shape communities.
In Nigeria, writing has played an important role in documenting independence, military rule, democratic transitions, migration, family life and the relationship between traditional practices and modern society.
Contemporary writers also explore questions about technology, identity, inequality and the experiences of younger generations.
A festival that places these subjects alongside international perspectives can help audiences understand how Nigerian debates connect with developments elsewhere.
The Abuja event also offered opportunities for readers to encounter writers and ideas they might not otherwise meet through their regular reading or media consumption.
For emerging writers, public literary gatherings can create opportunities to discuss their work, learn from established practitioners and build relationships with publishers, editors and other professionals.
However, the existence of a festival does not by itself resolve the challenges facing Nigeria’s reading culture. Access to affordable books, functioning libraries, school resources and opportunities for writers to earn a living remain important to the wider literary ecosystem.
The event therefore provides a platform for discussion, while its broader cultural impact will depend on whether the conversations encourage continued reading, publishing and creative participation.
Sources: The Abuja Inquirer; Book Buzz Foundation.
Ladi Kwali’s Legacy Gives the Festival a Nigerian Foundation
One of the most significant cultural references associated with the festival was its tribute to Ladi Kwali, the celebrated Nigerian potter from the Gbagyi community in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to The Abuja Inquirer, the festival’s logo paid tribute to Kwali and her ability to bring traditional pottery techniques into conversation with modern studio practices.
Kwali became internationally recognised for her ceramic work, which drew on the knowledge and forms of traditional Nigerian pottery while engaging with broader developments in contemporary ceramics.
Her story is relevant to the festival’s central ambition: demonstrating that local cultural knowledge can remain meaningful while interacting with international artistic practices.
Traditional crafts are sometimes presented as relics of the past, but Kwali’s work illustrates how inherited skills can influence new forms of creative expression.
Pottery, weaving, carving, textile design, music and storytelling all contain knowledge passed between generations. These practices can preserve community histories while also creating opportunities for contemporary artists and businesses.
The tribute also places the cultural history of the Gbagyi people within a national conversation. Abuja is not simply an administrative capital; it sits within a region with its own communities, traditions and artistic histories.
Recognising Kwali in the festival’s visual identity therefore provides a reminder that Nigeria’s national cultural story includes the contributions of communities whose heritage may receive less attention in mainstream narratives.
Her legacy also challenges a false division between tradition and innovation. Artists can preserve the foundations of a craft while developing new techniques, audiences and interpretations.
The festival’s use of this reference supports its wider goal of presenting a global platform whose character remains rooted in Nigerian experience.
Source: The Abuja Inquirer, October 10, 2026.
International Voices Expand the Conversation
The festival attracted participants whose professional experiences extended beyond literature into peacebuilding, science, public policy and cultural criticism.
Among the international guests was Sergio Jaramillo, Colombia’s former High Commissioner for Peace and one of the principal architects of the Colombian peace process.
His participation connected the literary programme with questions about conflict, negotiation and the difficulty of rebuilding trust in divided societies.
Zimbabwean writer and academic Simukai Chigudu was also included in the programme. His memoir, Chasing Freedom, explores family, colonialism, race, migration and the complicated meaning of freedom after empire.
Astrophysicist and science communicator Roberto Trotta was another international guest, bringing scientific ideas into a festival designed to connect literature with broader questions about human understanding.
Spanish filmmaker Stéphane M. Grueso was listed among the participants expected to examine artificial intelligence and its implications for culture and creative work.
The combination of these disciplines gave the festival a wider scope than a conventional book promotion event.
Peacebuilding and literature, for example, may appear to occupy separate fields, but both can involve questions about memory, representation, disagreement and how people understand experiences different from their own.
Science communication similarly depends on the ability to explain complex ideas in accessible ways. Literature and storytelling can help audiences understand scientific developments and their possible social consequences.
The festival’s international dimension also provided opportunities to compare Nigeria’s experiences with those of other countries without assuming that every society faces identical problems.
Such exchanges can be useful when participants examine what can be learned from international experience and what needs to be understood within Nigeria’s own historical and social context.
Sources: The Guardian; Brittle Paper.
What Colombia’s Peace Experience Adds to Cultural Dialogue
Jaramillo’s session on how divided societies learn to engage in dialogue introduced a subject with relevance to countries confronting political polarisation and conflict.
Colombia’s peace process provides an example of the complex work involved in negotiating an end to prolonged conflict. Such processes require political decisions, public engagement, security arrangements and efforts to address the consequences of violence.
A conversation about peacebuilding at a literary festival does not replace formal diplomacy or security policy. It can, however, give participants an opportunity to consider the human dimensions of conflict and the conditions needed for communities to communicate across deep divisions.
Literature can contribute to this process by presenting the experiences of people who may be excluded from official narratives. Memoirs, novels, poetry and oral histories can document loss, displacement, injustice and reconciliation.
These accounts can help readers recognise the impact of political decisions on individuals and families.
Nigeria also faces questions about how communities can maintain dialogue across differences involving politics, religion, ethnicity, geography and competing historical narratives. The circumstances differ from those in Colombia, but the broader questions about trust and communication are relevant.
The important lesson is not that one country’s peace process can simply be copied elsewhere. Rather, international experience can help audiences examine the choices societies make when responding to conflict.
The festival’s emphasis on dialogue reflects the potential of cultural spaces to encourage listening and critical discussion.
Source: The Guardian.
Northern Nigerian Writers and Young People Get a Platform
A notable part of the festival’s programme was its attention to younger Nigerians and writers from the northern part of the country.
According to The Abuja Inquirer, sessions provided opportunities for young people from Northern Nigeria to discuss their aspirations, while women writers from the region received a platform to contribute to the literary conversation.
This focus matters because the experiences represented in national cultural spaces influence which stories are published, discussed and remembered.
Nigeria’s literary community is diverse, but writers do not always have equal access to publishers, cultural institutions, professional networks or large audiences.
Regional differences in infrastructure and opportunity can influence whether emerging writers are able to develop their work and reach readers.
Creating space for northern writers can help audiences encounter perspectives that might otherwise receive less visibility. It can also support conversations about language, family, education, work, social expectations and the changing lives of younger people.
Women writers may bring particular perspectives to discussions of identity, social change and community experience, although their work should not be reduced to a single set of themes.
A meaningful platform requires more than inviting participants to speak at one event. Continued opportunities for publication, mentorship, audience development and professional support are important if emerging voices are to build lasting careers.
The festival’s organisers and partners will have an opportunity to build on the attention generated by the inaugural edition by supporting connections between writers, readers, publishers and cultural institutions.
Source: The Abuja Inquirer, October 10, 2026.
Reading Culture and the Cost of Books
The festival also reopened discussion about the conditions needed to strengthen reading in Nigeria.
Shoneyin called for greater investment in reading culture and criticised the burden that book-related costs can place on a country struggling with literacy.
In her remarks reported by The Abuja Inquirer, she argued that taxation on books should be reconsidered.
The cost of reading materials can influence access for students, families, schools and public libraries. When books become unaffordable, readers may rely on limited collections or go without materials that could support learning and personal development.
The problem is not confined to the price printed on a book. Publishing costs can include paper, printing, editing, design, transportation, distribution and retail expenses. Imported books may also be affected by foreign-exchange costs and international shipping.
For local publishers, these pressures can make it difficult to produce books at prices that remain affordable to readers while allowing businesses to cover their costs.
A stronger reading culture requires attention to the whole ecosystem. Schools need suitable learning materials, libraries need current collections, publishers need sustainable businesses and writers need opportunities to earn income from their work.
Government policy can influence some of these conditions through education spending, library support, tax rules and public procurement. Private-sector investment and community initiatives can also help expand access.
Digital books provide another possible route, although access to devices, electricity, connectivity and affordable data can limit their usefulness for some readers.
The discussion at the festival highlighted the need to treat reading as a cultural and educational priority rather than an activity confined to schools or a small group of enthusiasts.
Source: The Abuja Inquirer.
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Creative Work
Artificial intelligence featured among the subjects examined at the festival, reflecting growing uncertainty about how emerging technologies may affect writers, artists, filmmakers and other creative professionals.
AI tools can assist with tasks such as translation, editing, research organisation, image generation and the development of early ideas. Depending on how they are used, they may help some creators work more efficiently or reach audiences in new ways.
However, their growing capabilities also raise questions about authorship, intellectual property, consent, privacy and the economic value of creative work.
One concern is whether a system has been trained on material produced by writers and artists without adequate permission or compensation. Another is how audiences and publishers can distinguish human-created work from material generated or substantially altered by automated tools.
There are also questions about whether AI could make certain creative services more competitive while placing pressure on the earnings of professionals who depend on them.
These issues are particularly important for countries seeking to strengthen their creative industries. Nigerian writers, illustrators, musicians, filmmakers and designers need opportunities to use useful technologies while retaining appropriate rights and control over their work.
Shoneyin’s festival programme included discussion of AI’s implications for creative activity, according to the event’s published materials and reports.
A constructive response would involve informed public debate, appropriate legal safeguards, transparency and practical education for creative professionals.
Technology should not be treated as either an automatic threat or a guaranteed solution. Its effects depend on how it is developed, regulated and used, and on whether the benefits and risks are distributed fairly.
Source: The Guardian.
Democracy, Identity and the Power of Ideas
The festival’s programme also connected literature with democracy and questions about how societies understand themselves.
Democracy involves more than elections. It depends on institutions, public participation, access to information and the ability of people to debate policies and challenge ideas.
Books, journalism, essays, poetry and public discussion can contribute to this process by exposing readers to different arguments and encouraging them to examine evidence.
Literature can also reveal how political decisions affect everyday life. A novel or memoir may show how a policy, conflict or historical event shapes the choices available to individuals and families.
Identity was another important theme, reflecting questions about how people understand their communities, languages, histories and relationships with the wider world.
In a diverse country such as Nigeria, cultural identity is not a single, uniform experience. People may identify with local communities, ethnic and linguistic traditions, religious groups, professional networks and a shared national identity at the same time.
Creative work can help people explore these overlapping identities without assuming that one story represents everyone.
The festival’s international perspective made room for discussion of colonial history, migration, freedom and the ways societies interpret their past.
These subjects can be difficult, particularly when historical experiences remain politically contested. A literary platform can provide a setting in which different interpretations are examined through evidence, personal experience and thoughtful debate.
The objective is not to eliminate disagreement. It is to create opportunities for people to engage with ideas critically and to understand why others may see the world differently.
European Partnership and Cultural Exchange
The festival was organised in partnership with the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, with participation from the embassies of Italy, Spain and Sweden.
The partnership connected the Abuja event with wider efforts to support cultural exchange between Nigeria and other countries.
According to The Abuja Inquirer, European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS Gautier Mignot described culture as a means of promoting mutual understanding and shared values, while also creating economic opportunities for creative professionals and institutions.
International cultural cooperation can support exchanges involving writers, publishers, artists, researchers and audiences. It can also create opportunities for participants to learn about different creative industries and approaches to cultural development.
For Nigeria, such partnerships can help local practitioners connect with international networks while introducing foreign audiences to Nigerian writing, history and contemporary debates.
However, international cooperation works best when it supports meaningful local participation rather than treating cultural exchange as a one-way transfer of ideas.
Nigeria’s writers and artists have their own experiences and expertise to contribute. Their work can influence international conversations about literature, migration, technology, identity and social change.
The inclusion of Nigerian cultural references, regional voices and local concerns in the Abuja programme helped give the event a national foundation while allowing it to engage with global subjects.
Sustaining this kind of exchange will require continued relationships, funding and opportunities for creative professionals to collaborate beyond a single festival.
Source: The Abuja Inquirer, October 10, 2026.
Can Abuja Become a Permanent Cultural Destination?
The festival’s organisers hope the event will become a continuing part of Abuja’s cultural calendar.
Establishing a literary festival in the capital offers an opportunity to broaden the range of cultural activities available to residents and visitors. It could also create additional work for writers, publishers, event organisers, booksellers, hospitality businesses and other creative professionals.
However, a permanent cultural destination cannot be created through a single event. It requires a consistent programme, reliable financing, strong partnerships and an audience willing to return.
Accessibility is also important. Ticket prices, transport, venue location and the availability of information can affect who is able to attend.
The organisers will need to consider how the programme can reach students, young writers, readers outside established literary circles and people who may not be able to attend in person.
School partnerships, community reading activities, workshops and digital resources could help extend the festival’s influence beyond the two-day gathering. These are possible future approaches, rather than confirmed commitments announced as part of the completed edition.
The success of the inaugural event could also encourage more cultural organisations to consider Abuja as a venue for literary and creative programming.
Such developments would complement the capital’s established role in national political and administrative life by strengthening its contribution to public culture.
The longer-term opportunity is to make Abuja a place where literature and ideas are encountered throughout the year, rather than only during major events.
What Happens Next?
With the inaugural edition completed on October 10, attention will turn to whether the festival can build on its initial programme and establish a sustainable future.
The Book Buzz Foundation will need to assess audience participation, partnerships, costs and the practical lessons from organising the first edition. Future plans will depend on the organisers’ decisions and the resources available to them.
For writers and cultural practitioners, the immediate opportunity is to maintain the relationships formed during the festival and continue the conversations it introduced.
The themes raised at the event—including reading culture, creative rights, identity, peacebuilding and the role of technology—will remain relevant beyond the festival itself.
Policymakers, educational institutions, publishers and cultural organisations can contribute by improving access to books, supporting writers and developing opportunities for creative work.
The participation of young people and women writers from Northern Nigeria also provides a basis for further discussion about representation and access within the national literary community.
If the event returns in future years, its impact will depend on how effectively it connects public discussion with practical opportunities for readers and creative professionals.
A lasting cultural institution is built through repeated engagement, not simply a successful opening.
Conclusion
The inaugural Abuja Festival of Literature and Ideas has added a new platform to Nigeria’s cultural landscape, bringing literature into conversation with democracy, identity, peace, science and artificial intelligence.
Organised by the Book Buzz Foundation under the leadership of Lola Shoneyin, the festival sought to establish Abuja as a destination for intellectual exchange while connecting Nigerian voices with international perspectives.
Its tribute to Ladi Kwali highlighted the continuing relevance of indigenous creative traditions, while its attention to young people and northern writers underscored the importance of broadening representation in cultural life.
The discussions about reading culture, the cost of books and AI’s effects on creative work also demonstrated that cultural development depends on more than performances and public events. It requires supportive institutions, accessible resources and opportunities for writers and artists to sustain their work.
The festival’s future will depend on whether its organisers can maintain partnerships, attract audiences and translate the inaugural edition into a continuing programme.
For Abuja, the event offers a chance to strengthen its cultural identity alongside its political role. For Nigeria’s literary community, it provides another space in which stories, ideas and experiences can be shared, questioned and developed.
Its lasting value will be measured by the conversations it continues to inspire and the opportunities it helps create for readers, writers and cultural practitioners across the country.
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