How I longed to be part of a Broadway show. It was easier while growing up, there was Fadeyi Oloro, Professor Pele the magician, the National drama troupe or so.  There were stage plays at the national theatre often... I recall attending some. Some drama groups even went from school to school and yes, we paid to watch them.  Let’s call it some healthy entertainment, the type that the whole family could enjoy together.

And then we heard about the Broadway in America... that’s how the dream was born, the dream to be part of a drama troupe, travelling from town to town, city to city and perhaps from country to country. We heard about Ipi Ntombi and Umoja from South Africa... how did they get there before us? Anyway, umoja came to Nigeria and we attended, Fela on Broadway came and we attended... but these were foreign troupes. I was not sure what to feel about Fela on Broadway, happy or sad... I mean, the Fela story should be our own, it is our own but is being owned and cashed in on by foreigners.

I tried. I had part of my dream lived by joining the Jubilee theatre and the Shekinah drama ministries way back in school. But beyond that, it’s only been a dream half fulfilled.  I was looking through my phone when a post came in, AKETE... reminded me of the Eko Akete song only this time a wealth of emotions. Could this be true? A drama festival, a script writing competition with a decent prize too. You can have your script acted on “Broadway”.  The theme is “My Lagos story”.  What does this mean? Your peculiar Lagos experience to give you a spot in history.

Let’s start writing!