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Students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Faculty of Creative Arts, Department of Theatre Arts and Film Studies, put up an impressive display of drama, dance and music as they celebrated Africa’s rich cultural heritage at this year’s Traditional African Festival and Theatre.
The colourful festival, held on July 15, 2026, at the Faculty of Creative Arts, featured stage performances inspired by five renowned African festivals under the theme, “Celebrating Africa’s Historical Truths.” The productions showcased the Sahara Festival of Tunisia, the Voodoo Festival of the Benin Republic, Nigeria’s Ojude Oba Festival in Ogun State, the Durbar Festival of Kano State and Kenya’s Mijikenda Festival.
The performances were presented by five groups of 100-level students under the supervision of 400-level students as part of an annual departmental competition.
At the end of the event, the Sahara Festival of Tunisia emerged overall winner, while the Voodoo Festival of the Benin Republic came second. Nigeria’s Ojude Oba Festival finished third, with the Durbar Festival placing fourth and the Mijikenda Festival fifth. Trophies were presented to the top three teams.
The performances entertained guests with colourful costumes, energetic dances, captivating storytelling and dramatic stage productions that earned loud applause throughout the event while highlighting African traditions that have survived colonial rule and remain relevant today.
Speaking at the event, the lecturer in charge of the course, Dr. Oluwatoyin Olokodana-James, described the Traditional African Festival and Theatre as a long-standing annual programme designed to preserve Africa’s indigenous cultural heritage.
She explained that the compulsory course for all 100-level students exposes them to the history, innovations and cultural significance of major African festivals.
According to her, this year’s theme was chosen to draw attention to the untold stories behind Africa’s festivals and cultural traditions. She added that the first edition of the programme was initiated by Prof. Otun Rasheed, who now teaches in the United States.
Olokodana-James disclosed that preparations for the festival lasted about four months, spanning an entire semester, while students simultaneously handled other academic and practical courses.
She, however, identified inadequate funding for practical projects, balancing rehearsals with academic work, commercialising students’ talents and securing opportunities in Nigeria’s competitive creative industry as some of the major challenges confronting Creative Arts students.
She also lamented the lack of support from government, corporate organisations and individuals despite the entertainment and tourism sectors contributing significantly to Nigeria’s economy.
According to her, the students solely funded this year’s festival without external sponsorship, demonstrating their creativity and commitment despite limited resources.
She called on government agencies, private organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support the department’s annual programmes as part of their corporate social responsibility.
Olokodana-James further expressed concern that while many students are already active in the creative industry before graduation, some now pay less attention to classroom learning. She stressed the need for students to strike a balance between practical industry experience and academic excellence.
The Dean of the Faculty of Creative Arts, Prof. Stephen Olusoji, and the Head of the Department of Theatre Arts and Film Studies, Prof. Osita Ezenwanebe, congratulated the students for successfully staging the festival.
Also speaking, Emeritus Professor Duro Oni said the future of Creative Arts in Nigeria remains bright. He recalled that the institution began as the Centre for Cultural Studies before evolving into the Department of Creative Arts in the 1977/1978 academic session with programmes in theatre arts, music and visual arts, before eventually becoming a full faculty.
