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Head of the Department of Performing and Film Arts at the University of Ilorin, Professor Segun Oyewo, has recommended making African cultural studies compulsory for all university students.
This, he believes, would allow theatre to embody the spirit of unity in diversity within the African Diaspora.
Professor Oyewo made this recommendation while delivering the 276th inaugural lecture of the university, titled “Imagine a World Without Theatre and Its Realities on the Stage and the Environments in Nigeria.”
He also suggested establishing finishing schools to enhance the employability of theatre graduates, serving as a linking zone between the classroom and the field after graduation.
According to Professor Oyewo, theatre brings people together, sparks important conversations, and provides a platform for self-expression.
He noted that a world without theatre would have a profound impact on Nigeria’s cultural landscape, resulting in the loss of cultural heritage as it plays a significant role in preserving and promoting culture, tradition, and history.
To preserve African culture and challenge misconceptions about the continent, Professor Oyewo stressed the need to use theatre to explore links and connections within the African Diaspora.
He recommended encouraging cultural renaissance, reinvesting in Pan-Africanism, enhancing cultural exchange through active Memoranda of Understanding among theatre departments, and organizing inter-university cultural and theatre competitions.
Professor Oyewo, however, identified entrepreneurship as a solution to poverty in the theatre profession, noting that theatre as a business in Nigeria has thrived on entrepreneurship, as evident in the numerous repertory theatres owned or managed by sole proprietors.
With the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole
The inaugural lecturer also recommended that relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations regularly digitize theatre productions, resource materials, and cultural festivals, exhibiting them in schools, youth centers, and museums to promote and transmit culture.
By Sola Rotimi
