Wole Soyinka will lead eleven poets at the 2026 World Poetry Day Café in Lagos, celebrating creativity and exploring Power, Order, Freedom and Illusion

Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka will host eleven poets at the 2026 ProvidusBank World Poetry Day Café in Lagos on March 19, organisers have confirmed.

The event, themed Power & Order: Freedom & Illusion, will take place at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Theatre, Iganmu, from 5 pm.

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According to the organisers, four foreign-based poets will join seven Nigerian counterparts to present readings and spoken word performances for an audience including corporate executives, members of the creative community, and the general public.

The international participants include Yolanda Castano, Valter Hugo Mae, Maryam Palizban, and Mohsen Emadi. Nigerian poets taking part are Dike Chukwumerije, Abdulalazeez Sirajo Alli, Ayomide Fasedu, Nwani Emmanuel Chidera, Pacella Chukwuma-Eke, Tobi Abiodun, and Hafsat Abdullahi.

Since its proclamation by UNESCO in 1999, World Poetry Day has promoted linguistic diversity and provided a platform for endangered languages while highlighting poetry’s power to express human experience, challenge injustice, and inspire communities.

In Nigeria, Providus Bank has hosted the annual celebration since 2020 under its corporate social responsibility initiative, the ProvidusBank Poetry Café, curated by the Culture Advocates Caucus and directed by Jahman Anikulapo under Soyinka’s supervision.

Past editions have explored themes including environmental preservation, education, youth and female empowerment, migration, and cultural diversity.

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This year’s programme will examine the forces shaping society, the nature of order and freedom, and the illusions sustaining power, emphasising the role of creativity and the arts in national development.