Ahmed Yerima, C.E.O. of the National Arts Theatre and Director of the National Troupe of Nigeria turned 50 yesterday, May 8. The literatti gathered at the Banquet Hall of the National Arts Theatre to pay homage to a "Don". Yerima won the $20,000 NLNG prize for drama last year, with his book on the Niger Delta crisis, "The Hard Ground".
6 comments:
no clue who any of these people are papi.. thank heavens for you and your blog...
Congratulations to him. For some reason, the name Ahmed Yerima rings a bell but not for something in the Arts in Nigeria...it sounds like the name of Minister during the Babangida days...maybe it's just me or maybe he does have a namesake. I will look out for his book though, it sounds like a plot that is near and dear to my heart
Wole, surprised you did not mention that Ahmed Yerima attended Baptist Academy,Lagos, (and was a Senior Prefect during my time there and before yours, I think).
Please let have a link to that post so I can send it to the menbers of our fledgling old students here; it will, I'm sure, fill us all with pride.
Storm,
Yerima is one of the leading Arts figures in the country. Even laspapi 'gree for am, say oga na oga.
Ahmed Yerima is a multi-lingual, well-educated cultural officer. He (as well as a lot of cultural activists) was instrumental in saving the National Arts Theatre from being sold to sugar merchants (dangote and Co) by our philistine government.
@ Thanks jola- You're correct. There's an Ahmed Yerima who's governor of a northern state. No relative of this one. He's written quite a number of plays though- "Otaelo" (an adaptation of Othello), "The Sisters", "Yemoja", "Attahiru","The Trials of Oba Ovonramwen" and many others.
@ Oluyinka of Greater London- Am I Baptist Academy's P.R. Officer? See me o! Seriously now, he recognized Baptacads (and I) at the celebration. I didn't meet Yerima in school but his legend was already alive by my time there.
Just give them the http://laspapi.blogspot.com link.
Salud!
One of the greatest writers to have come out of Nigeria, he shd be celebrate more. Im reading his new play AETU
Well done, Cheetarah. Yerima's one of the best we have, I agree
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