NANTAP launches Akete

• Published date: 20 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

The National Association of Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) has rewarded winners of the Akete play writing competition organised by the association to groom young talents that will take over from older artistes in order to avoid vacuum. Paul Ugbede won the first position with a cash prize of N2million while James Henshaw and Olusegun Ajayi won the second and third position respectively. Henshaw went home with N1million while Ajayi got 500,00 Naira.

Speaking at the launch of Akete and the unveiling of face and the ambassador of same at Freedom Park, Lagos, National President of the NANTAP, Mr. Israel Eboh said that it was vital providing youths with platform and train them to be the best and be able to take theatre to the next level. ' Many young talented artistes need to be encouraged. It is why we give them the task of writing plays and we assess them. Their creative concepts matter a lot and we are ready to take them to another level,'' he said.

He stated that the initiative is to groom them to take over from the older ones, so there won't be a vacuum noting that Akete Festival would align with the 2023 World Theatre Day, coming up in March to boost the culture of Nigeria. He added that a lot of youths do not know much about Lagos culture and history even theirs.

'It is why we need to nurture new talents, we have to bring them back to our culture, which other countries still have,' he said.

The Secretary General, NANTAP, Makinde Adeniran said 'Akete' is designed to celebrate Lagos. He said that it is also to celebrate its illustrious sons and daughters of Lagos. 'Lagos is one unending drama, we complain about everything but we do not leave. It is also design to celebrate new emerging talents,' he said.

He noted that when playwright was advertised, they received 69 entries from across Nigeria and diaspora, about Lagos.

'We trimmed it down and three persons emerged winners. The plays will be published into books. We are talking to Lagos Ministry of Education to help publish it and put it in their curriculum. It is to identify young talent and...