Criticise government, but don’t incite violence, Akume tells writers

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has urged Nigerian writers to continue scrutinising those in authority without using their influence to promote violence or deepen divisions.

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Mr Akume was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs in the Office of the SGF, Bekearedebo Augusta Warrens, who delivered his address at the opening of the 45th International Convention and Conference of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).

The event was held on 30 October at the Mamman Jiya Vatsa Writers’ Village in Mpape, Abuja.

The convention, themed “Literature, National Security and the Place of Nigeria in the World,” brought writers, scholars and other stakeholders together to examine literature’s contribution to peace, security and Nigeria’s international image.

In the address delivered on his behalf, Mr Akume said literature went beyond entertainment because writers highlighted communities’ struggles and articulated experiences people might find hard to express.

He said poems could capture shared emotions, while plays and other literary works could demonstrate the consequences of injustice in ways that statistics alone could not.

The SGF maintained that writers had the right to examine difficult subjects, question public officials and criticise government policies. He warned, however, against using words to encourage hostility among Nigerians.

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“This does not mean that writers should avoid difficult subjects or that government criticism should be discouraged, far from it. Freedom of expression and the right to question those in authority are important features of democratic life,” Mrs Warrens said, quoting the SGF.

“What we should resist is the deliberate use of words to incite violence or cause Nigerians to hate one another.”

‘Nigeria needs honest voices’

Mr Akume encouraged ANA members to remain outspoken about the country’s problems while framing their interventions in ways that could improve public understanding and encourage practical responses.

“My appeal to members of the Association of Nigerian Authors is simple: Nigeria needs honest voices, not silence,” the address read.

“Continue to speak frankly about our national challenges. Help us to confront the issues that divide us, but do so in ways that deepen understanding and encourage solutions.”

He added that serious engagement between intellectuals and policymakers could help public conversations move beyond accusations towards workable solutions.

According to him, contributions from organisations such as ANA could enrich national debates and sharpen government policies.

‘Writers are prophets’

Senator Ekong Sampson, who also spoke at the convention, described writers as prophets whose works frequently anticipated the crises societies later confronted.

Citing Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People and the writings of Cyprian Ekwensi, the senator said Nigerian authors had long warned about many of the political and social problems confronting the country.

“Writers have paid their dues. They have prophesied, and they must be listened to,” he said. “The more we listen to our writers, the safer we are as a country.”

Mr Sampson urged the government to protect the legacies of Nigerian writers, noting that authors remained alive through their works long after their deaths.

He recalled the deaths of poet Christopher Okigbo and soldier-poet Mamman Jiya Vatsa, after whom the ANA Writers’ Village is named, arguing that a democratic society might have offered them greater protection.

Although Mr Okigbo died during the Nigerian Civil War and Mr Vatsa was executed following his conviction over an alleged coup plot, the senator said their stories continued to be retold because of their literary contributions.

“Writers never die. Writers live on through the stories they have told,” he said.

Government, writers must collaborate

Mr Sampson said the government should not remain distant from citizens, just as writers should not treat public institutions as inaccessible.

He maintained that insecurity affects everyone and requires collective responsibility, rather than leaving the burden entirely to security agencies or the government.

“With insecurity, you are either infected or affected,” he said. “It is a great responsibility, so we must all join hands. More importantly, we must listen to writers.”

The senator argued that Nigeria already had several laws but struggled to implement them. He urged citizens and public officials to accept responsibility for obeying and enforcing existing laws.

He also challenged writers to examine contemporary problems in light of past experiences and offer society broader perspectives.

Mr Sampson cited the monthly Uyo Book Club as an example of how writers could build closer relationships with public institutions. The club brings officials, readers and writers together for book readings and conversations with featured authors.

“You get close to the government that way,” he said. “I look forward to ANA meeting me the same way. Let us see how we, as writers, can meet, talk to ourselves and determine how we can work with the states for facilities.”

Literature beyond propaganda

Delivering the keynote address, Professor Mahfouz Adedimeji said literature should not be reduced to propaganda or treated only as a commercial and entertainment product.

He examined the connection between literature, peacebuilding and the struggle to shape public imagination, arguing that national security could not be achieved through military force alone.

Mr Adedimeji recommended that literature be incorporated into Nigeria’s security and peacebuilding strategies. He said films, plays and other creative productions should contribute to building a peaceful society rather than focusing exclusively on awards and profits.

He also called for literature and the humanities to be strengthened within the education system, with greater emphasis on reading, writing, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, civic consciousness and cultural understanding.

“The world is in turmoil today because guided weapons are in the hands of misguided people,” he said.

According to him, society’s emphasis on economic figures and other quantitative measures often came at the expense of values and the quality of human relationships.

Publishing, education and cultural diplomacy

The professor urged the government and private sector to strengthen Nigeria’s publishing industry, provide more awards and incentives for authors, and improve institutional protection for intellectual property.

He said books should occupy an important place in any country seeking meaningful development, particularly at a time when some young Nigerians described education as a scam.

Mr Adedimeji also proposed using literature to promote national integration. He encouraged tertiary institutions to expose students to works from different Nigerian communities and African societies.

Literary festivals, school debates, drama competitions and cultural programmes, he said, could serve as instruments of social cohesion.

He further recommended incorporating international literary exchanges, publishing partnerships, the translation of Nigerian works, and cultural diplomacy into the country’s foreign policy.

Universities, he added, should conduct practical research into subjects such as literature’s role in reconciliation and the ways language could shape conflict.

Good governance and security

Mr Adedimeji said literary interventions could not compensate for poor governance, injustice and institutional failure.

He urged political leaders to show through their actions that every Nigerian has dignity, value, and a stake in the country.

The professor argued that insecurity extended beyond physical violence to include political, food, economic, personal and environmental insecurity.

He said many security problems originated in damaged human relationships and crises of trust, citizenship, justice, memory and identity.

Literature, according to him, could expose injustice before it became normalised, transform citizens’ thinking and give Nigeria a voice that travelled beyond conventional diplomatic and political relations.

ANA seeks improved security

ANA National President Usman Oladipo Akanbi commended the federal government for supporting Nigerian writers, including by providing the land on which the writers’ village was developed.

Mr Akanbi also acknowledged the administration’s support for measures enabling authors to benefit from the reproduction of their works through the Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria.

He urged the government, however, to intensify efforts to address insecurity and create conditions that would restore Nigerians’ confidence in the country’s future.

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“No nation can grow when its young people have lost hope. And without hope, no reform can succeed,” he said.

“Reforms, however well-intentioned, must not be perceived as punishment.”

Warning ahead of 2027 elections

Mr Akanbi cautioned political parties, candidates and their supporters against inflammatory conduct as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.

He said political competition should not become a source of violence or hostility.

“We must ensure that the 2027 elections are conducted in an environment devoid of rancour, bitterness and ill will,” the ANA president said. “Our politics must not become a war.”

He added that building a stable country required cooperation between citizens and those entrusted with public office.

“Nation-building is a collective task. Government cannot do it alone, and citizens cannot thrive without responsible government,” he said.

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Jayne Augoye

Jayne Augoye is an assistant editor and covers the entertainment and lifestyle beat for PREMIUM TIMES. She has a master's degree in Media and Communication from the Pan Atlantic University. Twitter: @jaynejones

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