Dele Morakinyo -    Born 3rd September 1957 to a teacher, late Christopher Morakinyo from Ijan-Ekiti in Ekiti State. Attended Christ's School, Ado-Ekiti between 1968 and '72 where he met and became one of the admirers of Prof Niyi Osundare who as far back as then had shown his penchant for creativity and literature. I was in the production team of the drama presentation at the 1st Ondo state festival of arts and culture in 1976; I studied Dramatic Arts at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife with specialization in play writing before joining Nigeria Television, badan as a dramatist with then NTV Theatre. I worked in productions directed by Prof Wole Soyinka, Dr Carrol Dawes, Mr Laolu Ogunniyi among others. I have produced drama and documentaries for radio and tv. I was assistant director in The Turning Wheel, Jagua Nana's Daughter (tv) and Prince of the Savanna, Shijuwomi (film).

My feature and opinion articles have been published in The Guardian, Lagos Life, Sunday Concord,Tempo, Entertainer among others. I published the Independent Broadcasting News (now rested). I was secretary general of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners(NANTAP) for 2 years and ex-official for another 3 years. My collection 'Grass roots and other poems' won 1st prize in poetry ( professional category) in the Oyo State Festival of Arts and Culture in 1980. I had a brief stint as business manager for Fela Anikulapo's Kalakuta Organization in 1986.  I was operations manager at Videolab and Audiolab Studios' Lagos. I served as Ekiti State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) between 2008 and 2012. I am currently the CEO of Diaspora Media Ltd, the initiator of Ekiti Leadership Award in Media Practice(E-LAMP) and Niyi Osundare International Poetry Festival.

Tunde Laniyan is an actor, director, journalist, public analyst and training facilitator. He holds a bachelors’ and master’s degrees from the University of Ibadan. His career has spanned radio, television and newspaper editorial duties. His first foray into events planning and organisation dates back to 1980/81 when he, along with others planned and staged the First Nigerian Universities Theatre Arts Festival and later the Miss BCOS TV at 10 show in 1992.


His working career spanned news casting, programme production,  arts, culture and books editor, and as editor both at the Tribune publications in Nigeria and African Tourist magazine. He has also consulted for international organisations including the EU-Prime, UNDP (DGD) and the DFID sponsored project  PATHS 2.


Chief Dele Morakinyo

Festival Sponsor and Development Director

Oloye Tunde Laniyan

Festival Director



Dr. Idom T. Inyabri got his Bachelor of Arts (B.A) degree from the University of Calabar, Nigeria. He proceeded to the University of Ibadan, where he was opportune to be taught by Niyi Osundare and obtained the M.A. in Literature. He came back to his Alma mater, University of Calabar on appointment as an Assistant Lecturer in 2005 and also obtained the Ph.D in African Literature with speciality in African Poetry. His research interest ranges from Ecocriticism, African Poetry (Oral and Written), Popular Arts and the Criticism of African Literature. In 2016 Dr. Inyabri won the African Humanities Programme (AHP) / American Council for Learned Societies (ACLS) Post-Doctoral Grant, which offered him residence at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. He teaches Postgraduate and Undergraduate Courses in African Literature in the Department of English and literary Studies. With Dr. David Imbua in 2013, Dr. Inyabri is co-founder of Calabar Study Group, a scholarly Association that is committed to an interdisciplinary research on the culture, history, ethnography, arts, languages, religions and philosophies of the Cross River Region. Dr. Inyabri is married to Agatha Danne Inyabri (Nee Agbor) with whom they have three children. He loves reading, listening to music, watching News programmes and comedies, horticulture and walking.


Dr. Idom Inyabri

Hon Secretary,

Local Organising Committee

Dr. James Okpiliya, Chair

Local Organizing Committee