.speaks at Yoruba Tennis Club Centenary
By Our Reporter
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Thursday warned that societies which neglect their history and fail to confront injustice risk descending into tyranny, maintaining that cultural identity and historical consciousness were central to justice and national renewal.
Soyinka gave this warning while delivering the Centenary Lecture of the Yoruba Tennis Club (YTC), Lagos, as Guest Lecturer, during which he traced the origins of the club to a broader struggle for social liberation, dignity and self-definition among Nigerians.
The Nobel Laureate said the organisation that later became the Yoruba Tennis Club was conceived not merely as a social platform, but as part of a historical movement to reclaim dignity in the face of oppression.
Soyinka described the club’s name as a powerful affirmation of identity, which he said rejected the notion that embracing Yoruba heritage contradicts global or universal values, declaring pointedly that "founders of the club clearly understood who they were and what they stood for."
“What is wrong with being Yoruba?” Soyinka asked, insisting that cultural rootedness does not negate cosmopolitanism.
This was just as he noted that humanity is not built on cultural erasure, but on the recognition, respect and dignity of origins.
On Nigeria’s post-independence experience, Soyinka observed that many leaders were more eager to replace colonial rulers than to dismantle the structures of injustice they inherited, noting that the excitement of Independence often eclipsed the need for deep reflection on governance, accountability and justice.
According to him, the future is not merely about liberating oneself from the past, declaring that genuine progress required remembering, confronting and learning from past mistakes to avoid reproducing them in new forms.
"The future is not merely about liberating ourselves from the past, genuine progress requires remembering, confronting and learning from past mistakes to avoid reproducing them in new forms," he said.
He cautioned that tyranny does not always arrive abruptly, but often emerges when societies neglect justice, silence dissent and allow leaders to step comfortably into the shoes of former oppressors.
“The failure to confront historical wrongs makes nations vulnerable to repeating cycles of abuse and domination,” he warned.
Speaking further, the Nobel Laureate explained that his early work, "A Dance of the Forests," was deliberately pessimistic, as it was meant to warn against repeating historical errors.
Contrary to expectations that the play should celebrate Independence, Soyinka said he believed the real task of nation-building had only just begun.
Soyinka stressed that institutions such as the Yoruba Tennis Club bear responsibilities beyond celebration, urging them to remain vigilant spaces for reflection, dialogue and moral courage as Nigeria navigates its future.
According to him, the centenary lecture should serve not only as a moment of celebration, but as a call to renewed commitment to justice, cultural integrity and historical awareness.
Chairman of the Yoruba Tennis Club, Chief Olawumi Gasper, earlier in his remarks, reaffirmed the club’s commitment to preserving history, culture and intellectual leadership.
Gasper described the centenary milestone as a testament to the institution’s enduring legacy and sustained role in shaping Nigeria’s cultural and intellectual landscape, noting that the club, founded a century ago, had remained firmly rooted in tradition while engaging contemporary issues.
This was just as he paid tribute to the club's founding fathers, acknowledging their foresight, sacrifices and commitment to sustaining the institution’s values and traditions.
"Yoruba Tennis Club has long served as a meeting point for leaders, thinkers and professionals committed to societal progress," Gasper said.
He described Prof. Soyinka as a man of deep intellectual capacity, cultural depth and moral clarity, noting that the interactive session provided a rare opportunity to engage with wide-ranging discussions on literature, culture, nationhood, humanity, conscience and the enduring role of history in shaping societies.
Besides, he said that the engagement was particularly significant for students in attendance, many of whom had studied the works of the Nobel Laureate, urging them to seize the opportunity to learn directly from one of Africa’s foremost intellectual voices.
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