LAGOS – Chief Segun Awolowo, the grandson of late Premier Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the defunct Western Region, expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming UK staging of the play “Awo,” slated for May 2024. The play had previously been staged in Lagos in 2022 by the Duke of Shomolu Foundation.
According to a new release by News Agency of Nigeria, in a personal letter addressed to Mr. Joseph Edgar, Chairman of the Duke of Shomolu Foundation, Chief Segun Awolowo and other members of the Awolowo family received the news with “utmost joy and excitement.”
Awolowo reminisced about watching the play at the historic Glover Hall in Lagos, where his late grandfather had also seen great theatrical works during his time as Premier. “It is for this reason that I do not hesitate to not only endorse the UK showing but to also render any kind of support within my means to make this exciting project record massive success,” he wrote in the letter.
The play aims to document the life and times of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who passed away in 1987. Awolowo was also a Federal Commissioner of Finance and one of Nigeria’s founding fathers. Alongside him were other influential figures like Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first civilian President, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of the defunct Northern Region.
Chief Segun Awolowo expressed his anticipation for the event, stating that he looks forward to hosting guests at a cocktail organized in conjunction with the play’s UK performance.