El Rufai, Julius Agwu To Headline LABAF 2013

Julius Agwu, ace comedian and Nasir el-Rufai, former FCT Minister have been announced as the headliners for the upcoming 15th annual Lagos Book and Art Festival, LABAF.

In a release by the organisers, the Committee for Relevant Art, CORA, Agwu, who has just joined the list of authors with his newly released biography, Jokes Apart – How Did I Get Here?, will open the Green Festival (children) segment of the festival with a mentoring talk and performance skits to a throng of 8-15 year olds. The Book In My Life is the working title of the Comedian’s engagement with the kids.

El Rufai, author of the much-debated book The Accidental Public Servant, a searing insight into governance in Nigeria, will be interviewed in public by Martins Oloja, editor of The Guardian in what promises to be a very provocative conversation.

The 2013 edition of the LABAF running from 15 to 17 November at the Freedom Park on Broad Street, Lagos, comes with the theme: Nigeria’s Centenary, The Lagos Narrative. It will feature 10 panel conversations around 20 fictional and non fictional books on politics, art, romance, the economy, business and religion in the course of the three days.

The three-day festival is a grand cultural picnic with heavy book content. There will be book displays, a visual art exhibition, a jazz concert, live poetry and spoken word sessions.

There will also be an art party, a film documentary for adults and lots of workshops, readings and excursions for children.

Already, some oil companies are lining up in support of the longest annual book reading carnival in Africa.

ExxonMobil, Midwestern Oil & Gas, Niger Delta Petroleum Resources, Pillar Oil and Energy and Mineral Resources (EMR) have all put their money in support of this literary campaign.

“It is an incredible gesture to have such iconic private sector enterprises support our campaign to rid the nation of ignorance,”, said Jahman Anikulapo, programme chairman of the CORA.

Anikulapo said that these companies have, with their support,  joined the British Council and the (German Cultural Centre) Goethe Institut, who are both providing material and institutional backing for the festival.