At Soyinka’s 90th birthday lecture, speakers highlight imperative of preserving truth in societies

The need for critical thinking, introspection, verification, and media literacy remains sacrosanct to protect the values of truth, justice, peace, fairness, and social equity in Nigeria and globally, panelists said at the 2024 Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture.

The event was held at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, on Saturday to honour Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in literature on the occasion of his 90th birthday.

The 16th media lecture, with the theme, ‘The death of truth? Realism, literature and journalism in an age of disinformation,’ had literature icons, journalists, media experts and policy advocates debate the nexus between truth, realism, media literacy and the rise of disinformation in the digital age.

The panelists included professor of African and African American studies at Harvard University, Biodun Jeyifo; chief executive officer, RadioNow, Kadaria Ahmed; poet, author and political scientist, Odia Ofeimun; and the co-founder of Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) Foundation, Chiamaka Okafor. Tolulope Adeleru-Balogun moderated the session.

The panelists noted that the absence of the identified markers – critical thinking, introspection, verification and media literacy – in society has led to an increase in disinformation in the digital age.

They highlighted the importance of realism in depicting the world honestly and accurately and the need for critical thinking and media literacy in navigating the complex landscape of information.

The keynote speaker, Mr Jeyifo, explored justice as the first condition of humanity.

In providing an apparent answer to the poser in the theme as to whether truth was dead in this age, the professor noted that truth was not dead.

Another panelist, Mr Ofeimun, said the only thing that could survive the confrontation of truth and falsehood is the truth.

“In the death of truth, all of us are collaborators. We need not wait for the edifice to collapse before we commence the caretaking,” he said.

The poet observed that truth translates into the general absence of falsehood and lies, adding that many people have been used to promote falsehood on social media.

“Lies should be given their proper names. Once you know what you are doing is a lie, there would be consequences,” he said.

For her part, Ms Okafor agreed with Mr Ojeifo that truth was not dead but noted that disinformation existed to fill the vacuum where there was a scarcity of truth.

She noted that the “dissemination of falsehood is now a paid truth.”

Addressing dozens of secondary school students at the event, Ms Okafor urged them to always question what they shared and posted on social media, adding that “one of the many things that reduce your ‘steeze’ as a young person is falsehood.”

“Disinformation happens offline as well. Absence of critical thinking and verification fuels disinformation,” she noted, adding that “critical thinking, introspection, verification and media literacy” were all essential in curbing disinformation.

While Ms Ahmed also aligned with Mr Jeyifo that the truth may not be dead, she declared that “it is actually on life support as we speak.”

She contended that the tools that are used to kill the truth are quite effective and that “for the truth to be reflected out in the world, we have to self-examine.”

Remarks

Earlier, Ropo Sekoni, a professor of Semiotics and African Literature, described the celebrant as the “youngest nonagenarian.”

The pro-democracy activist said the event, which started 16 years ago, is to honour Mr Soyinka for his contribution to civilisation.

Earlier in her opening remarks, the Coordinator of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), Motunrayo Alaka, said the lecture’s theme is timely in an age where opinion reigns supreme.

“The pressure on the truth (which) journalism seeks, documents and defends is real, intense and at scale. Journalism’s credibility is threatened and with it, the values of justice, peace, fairness and social equity it protects,” she said.

Mrs Alaka said Mr Soyinka’s life is worthy of emulation and propels one to advocate for a more just society through interventions, conversations and collaborations.

Also speaking earlier, Umaru Pate, the vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State, described the celebrant as a dogged defender of the truth.

“He is a highly respected citizen, not just a Nigerian citizen but a global citizen, whose ideas and writings are all over the place,” Mr Pate, the chairperson of the event, said.

Saturday’s event was one way Mr Soyinka was honoured on his 90th birthday in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Nigerian government also named its iconic National Theatre after the don.

“Today, I join the world to celebrate his profound influence on generations of writers, scholars, and activists who have been inspired by his work. I celebrate him for giving us the spark to fight and confront military dictators in our country.

“I am, accordingly, delighted to have the honour to announce the decision of the Federal Government to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts,” President Bola Tinubu wrote in a Friday statement by his office.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported that the Royal Academy of Morocco (RAM), on Wednesday, honoured Mr Soyinka with a Gold Medal in recognition of his exceptional influence on the development of world literature.