The outgone President, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Mr Camillus Ukah has handed over an edifice structure housing the Chinua Achebe International Conference Centre (CAICC) to the incumbent president of the association, Dr Usman Oladipo Akanbi.
Ukah, while speaking in Abuja on Friday at the formal handover, charged the new executives on professionalism to position the industry for the socio-economic development of the country and continent.
Recall that the Femi Osofisan National Secretariat of the Association, which is in the Chinua Achebe International Conference Centre (CAICC), is housing the ANA offices, Library, Conference room, among others.
The Femi Osofisan Secretariat was commissioned by the Amir Musulumi of Idomaland, Prof. Shamsudeen Amali, under the leadership of the outgone President on May 2, 2022.
According to the Immediate Past President (IPP), Camillus Ukah, the event is a memorable one as the new President is the first to inherit an office since inception of the association in 1981.
“In 2019, the association was at the verge of break-up due to grievances among members, but God rescued us.
“I am handing over the legacy of kinetic link of unimaginable diversity to you, and I believe you will work with your executives to actualise the dreams and aspirations of the association.
“Apart from the Femi Osofisan Secretariat, I am also handing over the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Certificate and the Seal of the association to you as an instrument of power to function optimally,” he said.
Responding, the incumbent President, Dr. Usman Akanbi, pledged to consolidate on what has been achieved so far by his predecessor.
Akanbi, who noted that Wole Soyinka was the only Nigerian to have won the Nobel Prize, pledged the commitment of his administration to focus on building the intellectual capacities of members towards winning more laurels.
“The focus of our agenda is that we are coming on board to consolidate on the achievements of the past executives starting with what our founding fathers from Chinua Achebe to what other Presidents that had held the mantle of leadership in ANA had achieved.
“Having the physical infrastructure on ground, we should now be in the position to facilitate the building of capacities across the great diverse spectrum of our members to be in tune with world class standards.
“The world is changing, and we also have to build on that. So, most of the writers will produce world-class creative books that would match international standard across the globe.
“It is also disappointing that since Wole Soyinka won the Nobel Prize Award, we have not heard anybody from Nigeria winning it again.
“We want to seek the opportunity to give particular training, shape the minds of our writers so we can turn them towards becoming global writers that will win prizes,” he said.
Akanbi also expressed optimism that the residency programme of the association would be ready by November 2024 as a way of fostering the spirit of creative writing.