President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has designated the Northern Parkway Road in Abuja in honour of the esteemed Nigerian literary figure, Wole Soyinka.
This announcement was made by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday.
This initiative is part of a series of project inaugurations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) commemorating the president’s first year in office.
Onanuga, through his X handle, revealed that the president renamed the Arterial Road N20 from Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) to Professor Wole Soyinka Highway, following the recommendation of the FCT administration.
Tinubu emphasised that naming the road after the celebrated playwright, poet, and novelist, who turns 90 on July 13, acknowledges Soyinka’s status as the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
He further noted that Soyinka has brought significant honour and prestige to Nigeria.
Bayo Onanuga’s tweet:
The decision to honour Soyinka in this manner has elicited varied responses from the public.
Many supporters believe that this gesture is a well-deserved recognition of Soyinka’s monumental contributions to literature and his relentless advocacy for human rights and democracy.
They see it as an appropriate tribute, celebrating his lifelong achievements as he approaches a milestone birthday.
On the other hand, some critics view this move with suspicion, suggesting that it could be a strategic political manoeuvre aimed at bolstering the president’s image or diverting public attention from more critical national issues….Sée Móre
Let No One Call Them Names They Have Raised The Bar High, Perhaps The Highest Since 2012 – Nwankwo