IHRAF African Secretariat History
IHRAF African Secretariat Teen Arts and Writing Mentorship Programme 2022
Six Writers and One Artist have been nominated for this year IHRAF Teen Arts and Writing Mentorship Programme, a programme of the African Chapter of the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF) with its international headquarters in New York, U.S.A. They include: Moyinoluwa Oyetunji Sarah (Poet), Akinfenwa Temitope (Poet), Tinuade Dorcas Omitoogun (Short Story Writer), Ajobo Haleeah Oluwalaanumi (Poet & Short Story Writer), Razak Samad (Artist), Stephen Ajeigbe (Poet) and Peace Akindimeji Akin-Tella (Poet).
IHRAF Teen Arts and Writing Mentorship Programme provides the guidance to help teen writers and artists perfect their craft and successfully complete and publish their self-published book/arts projects. They are to write/create works of art on issues bordering Human Rights issues affecting Africa.
The programme also hopes to help empower shortlisted recipients to independently identify growth areas and find relevant, valuable, ongoing learning opportunities from individuals who have relevant and shareable experiences and insights.
IHRAF BOOK CLUB SPONSORS READING IN COMMEMORATION OF 2022 WORLD BOOK DAY
On the 19th of March, 2022, the African Chapter of the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF) through its book club, IHRAF Book Club sponsored and hosted Ibadan Book Club March reading purposely designed to commemorate 2022 World Book Day.
IHRAF was physically represented by its African Director, in person of Mr. Wole Adedoyin who also talked about IHRAF and the reason why IHRAF Book Club was created. He also used the opportunity to inform the House on the latest project of IHRAF Africa tagged “African Human Rights Short Story Competition”.
The Coordinator of Ibadan Book Club (IBC), Odunyemi Ayobami thanked IHRAF for sponsoring and co-hosting the March reading which was designed to commemorate 2022 World Book Day.
The programme ended after a series of readings and dramatic presentations.
The Malady and the Remedy: An International Essay Anthology on Human Rights Abuse in Africa
This series of 19 essays collected in 2021 represent the winners and honorable mentions from the African Essay contest on human rights abuses and corruption in Africa. It was run by the International Human Rights rt Festival's African Secretariat, and its President Wole Adedoyin. In Africa, the idea of human rights is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Contributing to the establishment of human rights system in Africa are the United Nations, international law and the African Union which have positively influenced the betterment of the human rights situation in the continent. However, extensive human rights abuses and violations still occur in many sections of the continent. Most of the violations can be attributed to political instability (as a consequence of civil war), racial discrimination, corruption, post-colonialism, economic scarcity, ignorance, illness, religious bigotry, debt and bad financial management, monopoly of power, lack/absence of judicial and press autonomy, border conflicts, unauthorized intrusion of privacy, establishment of laws barring specific of free expression, criminal defamation laws that are usually indistinct, restrictions on freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and association, corruption of government officials, lack or absence of independence and neutrality in the judiciary, gross domestic violence against women, prohibition of same sex activities, sexual abuse on LGBTI persons, and human trafficking.
MEET THE WINNERS OF OUR AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS ESSAY COMPETITION 2021, published as The Malady and the Remedy
UGOCHUKWU ANADI: NELSON MANDELA PRIZE
Ugochukwu Anadị is a student of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, is a 20 year old who discovered his love for writing during the COVID-19 lockdown. He has gone ahead to write short stories, poems and essays and has been published in Nantygreens Magazine. He also came fourth place in the Hon. Dozie Nwankwo Essay Writing Competition, 2020.
He has interests in stories that depict life and is a great lover of literary fiction. Through his writings, he tries to address homophobia and document students’ life. But he believes in reading Literature firstly as Literature, before any other thing.
CHARLES IORNUMBE: THOMAS SANKARA PRIZE
Charles Iornumbe is a broadcast journalist, researcher, creative writer, cultural enthusiast and academic.
He has worked with Radio Benue Corporation, Makurdi for over a decade and risen through the ranks. He also had a stint with Radio Nigeria Globe FM, Bauchi, Bauchi state.
He has served as the chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors ANA, Benue state chapter between 2026 - 2019. Due to his outstanding contribution to the growth of literary creativity in Benue, the National Executive Council of ANA voted him as the National Ex-Officio One.
Some of his essays, commentaries, literary works and academic articles had been published in well established journals, local and National Dailies as well as Anthologies.
Iornumbe holds a doctorate degree in Linguistics with special interest in stylistics, communication and semiotics.
OF GRACE AND FORTUNE is one of Iornumbe's yet - to - be released books.
He hails from Mbaakpur, Shangev-Tiev in Konshisha local government area of Benue state, Nigeria.
OSHO TUNDE: OMOYELE SOWORE PRIZE
Osho Tunde is an undergraduate of Accounting in yaba college of Technology, yaba, Lagos. He is a Nigerian writer who who bears witness for the events within his body. He recently won a 1st runner up prize, Eriata Orhibabor Poetry prize, 2020. His haiku was on Babishai Niwe haiku 2020 longlist. His works have featured in various magazines and anthologies such as Praxis, Conscio, erogospel, The Quills, 'The veil beyond wall' by Poets in Nigeria(PIN) initiative and elsewhere. He loves to write, sing and study.
African Human Rights Essay Competition is an initiative of the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF), USA aimed at promoting human rights values in Africa and to positively influence the betterment of the human rights situation in the continent.
OSOGBO BOOK PARTY AND OSOGBO BOOK AWARD
Osogbo Book Party is the end of the year party of Osogbo Book Club which was sponsored by IHRAF Book Club, an initiative of the African Chapter of the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF).
The event featured Otunla Samuel Oludare as guest writer. Otunla Samuel Oludare is a native of Isundunrin in Ejigbo Local Government. His writing skill was discovered at a very tender age with creative ideology to present fictional story to classmate. This discovery started with discovery of talent which its practicality metamorphosis to being an author of books such as fortitude to greatness, and the recently sold, titled sting of death and more are still in progress. His unique and logical expression differentiates him among contemporaries. He is a teacher, a gospel musician who had written songs to his credit, and married with two kids. His passion to growth and development in youth in a way of forestalling moral value drives him to do more in writing. He had bagged two awards in public speaking and in music from the Youth Chapter of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Osun state as the best Public Speaker in 2019. He had led youths in self reliance and his oratory talent is top notch not just to arouse interest but to present realities that are workable for a better society. And to mention but a few, he is the present Creativity Director of the Fellowship of Gospel Musician of Nigeria, Osun State Chapter.
During the events, dedicated and committed members of Osogbo Book Club were awarded and recognized. Organizations like the Writers’ Global Movement (WGM), Osun State Library Board, Osun State Branch of the National Library of Nigeria, SUBEB, Osun State Ministry of Education were also awarded.
ABEOKUTA WRITERS WORKSHOP
Abeokuta Writers Workshop was organized by Abeokuta Book Club in conjunction with IHRAF Book Club, and presented by Darasimi Adeoye, Coordinator.
Abeokuta Writers Workshop took place on the 18th day of September, 2021 at the AAC Secretariat, beside NIPCO Filling Station, Along MKO Abiola Way, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The workshop explored the craft of writing in a way that is clear, practical, and inspiring. The workshop helped the participants to:
Discover themselves and their writing paths
Find out what their writing strengths are
Accept the weaknesses in their writing
Learn to handle critiques of their works
Meet people who share their passion
Improve their writing
Gain a lot of creative writing practice.
Get access to a mentor
Adopt new writing techniques
Lectures were delivered by five Speakers, namely: Badejo Beatrice Morenike, Saint-Olawale Jimoh, Shina Fasanmi , Ademola Ayomide Miracle and Temilade Ajayi. Topics like: Essentials and fundamentals of Creative Writing (Poetry, Prose and Drama), Obtaining ISBN, ISSN, character development, article writing were covered during the Conference.
OSOGBO WRITERS CONFERENCE
Osogbo Writers Conference was organized by Osogbo Book Club in conjunction and support from the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF). Osogbo Writers Conference took place on the 21st day of August, 2021 at the Secretariat of the Club in Osogbo, Osun State Capital, Nigeria. The Conference was a day programme designed to guide and assist Osun state up and coming writers through the process of writing. It was a capacity building Conference with the theme: “The Business of Writing: Accessing Your Writer’s Voice”. The primary purpose of the conference is to help unlock the potential of Osun state based writers as “writers” and to help them understand and realize their writing potential.
Conference papers were delivered by five Speakers, namely: Mr. Sanni Basheer Abiodun, Mr. Ogunmodede Adeloye, Mr. Bunyamin Sijuwade, Mr. Oladejo Haneef and Mr. Afeez Olagunju. Topics like: Key elements of writing (Poetry, Prose and Drama), Obtaining ISBN, ISSN, character development, publishing, editing, scriptwriting, graphics design, illustration, electronic publishing, ghost writing etc. were covered during the Conference.
IBADAN CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP On the 31st of July 2021, Ibadan (Nigeria) Book Club in conjunction with IHRAF Book Club organized a one day practical creative writing workshop for writers in Ibadan and its environs. The workshop took place at the Oyo State Library Board. The objectives of the workshop were aimed at honing, enhancing and improving the skills/capacity of up and coming writers, editors, publishers and bloggers, among others. It also helped the participants develop distinctive writing voices. It enabled the participants to also explore the types of writing in which they are particularly interested.
Speakers that delivered lectures include: Dr. Bartholomew Akpah, Mr. Jide Ogunlana, Mr. Sulaiman Idris Bankole, Mr. Folarin Olaniyi and Miss Phebean Folarin.
The workshop touched on key elements of E-Book Production and Publishing, writing (poetry, Prose and Drama), publishing, editing, scriptwriting, graphics design, illustration, electronic publishing, ghost writing etc.
IBADAN BOOK PARTY AND IBADAN BOOK AWARD
IHRAF Book Club, an initiative of the African Chapter of the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF) aimed at promoting reading culture in Africa on the 18th of December, 2021 in conjunction with Ibadan Book Club hosted Ibadan Book Party and Ibadan Book Award.
Ibadan Book Party was celebrated to mark the end of year party of Ibadan Book Club (IBC) while Ibadan Book Award recognized, awarded and rewarded those individuals who contributed to the writing and reading culture of Oyo State.
The event took place at the Oyo State Library Board, Opposite Cocoa House, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The event also featured four Ibadan based writers, Emmanuel Adekola, Olomide Fatiha, Ogunsola Ayooluwa Folakunmi andOlujide Jacob Olúmọfe.
EndSars Poetry Competition 2020
At the end of 2020, IHRAF and the African Secretariat held the EndSars Poetry Competition, to bring together creative voices fighting against police brutality in Nigeria. The slogan calls for the disbanding of Nigeria’s “Special Anti-Robbery Squad,” which is accused of many documented abuses. More than 100 submissions were received from all over Africa.
Selecting the few winners and honorable mentions for the award, out of more than a hundred beautiful entries from very creative and talented poets across international borders, was by no means an easy task. The pain of having to eliminate some fine entries to arrive even at a longlist of twenty, let alone a shortlist was by far one of the most excruciating and unsung aspects of the job of a judge and editor of a contest whose central theme touches on a global and sensitive aspect of our shared humanity. It is therefore, a huge source of consolation to the judges and editors for the opportunity to publish additional pieces out of the vast pool of amazing entries received during the call for entries to the EndSARS National Poetry Competition in 2020.