PROFILE
OF WOLE ADEDOYIN
Wole Adedoyin is a prominent Nigerian writer and
literary activist with a wealth of experience in the field of creative writing
and literary arts. He is an alumnus of the Study Abroad in Lebanon (SAIL)
program, a collaborative initiative between the Wole Soyinka Foundation, Notre
Dame University, Louaize, and Cedars Institute, Lebanon.
Currently, Adedoyin serves as the President of
the Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW), an umbrella organization that
promotes literary creativity among writers in Nigeria between the ages of 10
and 40. Established in 2010 at the former house of Nobel Laureate Professor
Wole Soyinka at the University of Ibadan, the organization was formerly known
as the World of Poets and Literary Society. SYNW is a member of the
International Authors Forum (IAF) and has collaborated with various
international organizations such as Alliance Francaise (Nigeria), 100 Thousand
Poets for Change (USA), Woman Scream International Poetry and Arts Festival
(Italy), and the International Human Rights Art Festival (USA).
Before becoming the National Publicity Secretary
(South) of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Adedoyin had served in
various committees established by different Presidents of the Association. He
served as the National Secretary of the National Teen Authorship Scheme
committee from 2011 to 2015, the Young Writers Mentorship Scheme committee from
2016 to 2019, and the Intellectual Property Protection and Advancement
Committee from 2018 to 2019.
Adedoyin is renowned for his literary events,
including Fagunwa Day, Read Across Nigeria (RAN), National Week of Remembrance
for Departed Writers (NAWRED), and the National Book Awareness Week (NABAWK).
He organized the Prof. Remi Raji @ 50 National Poetry Competition in 2011 and
has published works in various literary reviews, journals, and anthologies.
Adedoyin is also a content creator with over 1000
articles published on Opera News and Scooper News. He won the Opera News Hub’s
Original Articles of the Week twice in March 2020 and the Original Long Read
Articles of the Month award in the same month. In 2005, Adedoyin received the
Oyo State Merit Award in Literary Arts from HE Chief Alao Akala, the then
Executive Governor of Oyo State. He also won the Olaudah Equiano Poetry and
Prose Prize in 2006, the ANA/Asiedu Sarpong Prize for Children Poetry in 2008,
and the Vincent Iguanre Drama Prize.
Adedoyin is the Coordinator of the Gibran Khalil
Gibran Society in Nigeria and Africa, appointed by the Gibran National
Committee in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 5th, 2017. He is also the founder of
the Association of Nigerian Christian Authors and Publishers (ANCAPS), known
for its annual National Christian Literature Awards. Adedoyin is a member of
ANA Osun.
Wole Adedoyin has had a varied political career,
starting in 2004 as National Coordinator of the Good Governance Club and later
the Conference of Young Nigerian Democrats. In 2009, he was appointed Ibadan
North Chairman of the Progressive Action Congress (PAC) and later became State
Publicity Secretary of the same party. In 2010, Adedoyin switched to the
African Renaissance Party (ARP) as State Secretary before moving on to the Peoples
Redemption Party (PRP) and becoming State Secretary/Publicity Secretary. He was
involved in the Coalition for a New Nigeria (CNN) in 2011, serving as the
pioneer Secretary in Oyo State. He then became Oyo State Secretary of the
Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) after the phase-out of the CNN.
In the same year, he was appointed Chairman of the Peoples Mandate Party (PMP)
in Oyo State.
After the PMP was deregistered, Adedoyin was
appointed Organizing Secretary of an award ceremony organized by the Conference
of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in honor of former Governor of Oyo State,
HE Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi. In 2013, he moved to the United Progressive
Party (UPP) and became the foundation State Secretary of the party in Oyo
State. Later that year, he joined the African Peoples Alliance party (APA) and
emerged as the pioneer Oyo State Secretary of the Interparty Advisory Council
(Oyo-IPAC) in 2014.
In 2015, Adedoyin represented APA at the National
Interparty Youth Dialogues and served as Osun State Chairman of the Hope
Democratic Party (HDP). He was also a member of the Alliance of Collaborating
Political Parties (ACPP) and served as Chairman of the Osun State Coalition of
Progressive Political Parties (Osun COP3) and the Association of Progressive
Political Parties, Osun State Chapter (Osun APPPS). In 2019, he was contracted
by the former National President of the Interparty Advisory Council (IPAC),
Chief Peter Ameh, to edit and publish the newly conceived electronic IPAC
Monthly newsletter, "IPAC News."
Adedoyin also created the "IPAC
Watchdog" platform to connect all the National Chairmen of the 91
registered political parties with their States Chairmen. This platform allowed
them to share the latest news related to INEC, IPAC, Elections, Security,
National Affairs, and more. He also added powerful people ranging from
Commissioners of Police, Director of Civil Defense, INEC RECS, and others. He
later created another similar platform, "National Focus," which
focused only on national issues affecting the country.
Adedoyin, a prominent figure in Nigerian
politics, made a bid for the Governorship candidacy of the Hope Democratic
Party (HDP) in 2018. This placed him in the company of other popular
candidates, including Senator Iyiola Omisore, Gov. Gboyega Oyetola, and former
Osun State SSG, Hon. Moshood Adeoti. Adedoyin was quoted as saying that he
believed the HDP was a unique political party.
Adedoyin has also been an attendee of the
Emerging Political and Economic Leaders Summit in Abuja. This one-day event was
organized in 2017 by the Emerging Political and Economic Leaders Summit, in
conjunction with the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership and the office
of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs. Adedoyin returned
to the summit in 2018 for its second edition, which was organized by the same
group in conjunction with the Harvard University Institute of Politics and the
office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs.
In 2007, Wole Adedoyin established the Society
for Microsoft Practitioners (SFMP) with the goal of providing free computer
operations training to over 5000 primary school students and teachers under the
ICT for Community Development project. The project was carried out in partnership
with SUBEB and Education Secretaries in Ibadan North Local Government, Ibadan
North West Local Government, and Ibadan North East Local Government. More
information about the project can be found at https://ictenlightenmentseries.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/ict-for-community-development-project-society-for-microsoft-practitioners-working-documents/.
Numerous schools, including United Brothers (Inalende), UNA Mission School
(Inalende), The Apostolic Primary School (Agala), St. Michael Primary School
(School 1-6), St. Stephen’s Primary School, Chief Agbaje Primary School 1-5,
Salvation Army School (Yemetu), St. Paul Primary School (Yemetu), New Eden
C&S, St. John Primary School, and Baptist Primary School 1-5, benefited
from the project. The project was subsequently nominated for the 2017 World
Summit Information Society (WSIS) Prizes, which were established by the United
Nations to evaluate projects and initiatives that leverage information and
communication technologies (ICTs) to promote sustainable development. Further
details can be found at https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/stocktaking/Prizes/2019/Nominated?jts=32V3Z4&page=2#start.
In 2016, the ICT for Community Development
project was also nominated for the GEM-TECH Awards, which recognize individuals
and organizations that promote women's participation and involvement in the
technology sector. Adedoyin, who is the founder of the project, is also an
official organizer of Girls in ICT Day in Nigeria. Girls in ICT Day is an
international initiative that encourages girls and young women to consider
careers in ICTs. Adedoyin organized the event for secondary school girls in
Nigeria in 2016, 2017 and 2019. 2016 - https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Digital-Inclusion/Women-and-Girls/Girls-in-ICT-Portal/Pages/events/2016/Africa/Nigeria-2016-5.aspx,
2017 - https://www.itu.int/net4/ITU-D/GICT/2017-2019/display.asp?ID=191,
and 2019 - https://www.itu.int/net4/ITU-D/GICT/2017-2019/display.asp?ID=1145.
These events provided a platform for young girls to learn about ICT and
interact with successful women in the tech industry.
In 2019, Adedoyin expanded his efforts by bringing
CBT (computer-based testing) to over 30 public secondary schools in Oyo and
Lagos States. The project was also nominated for the 2020 Equals Awards, which
recognize organizations and individuals who promote gender equality in the
technology industry. Adedoyin played a key role in establishing the Nigerian
Content Consultative Forum ICT (NCCF-ICT) and the Association for Information
and Communication Technology on Local Content (ICT LOCA), and he is a member of
ICTLOCA with the membership registration of 0098/2017. Finally, Adedoyin is the
President of the Computer Guild of Nigeria and the National Coordinator of the
Information Technology Writers Association of Nigeria (ITWAN).
