Interviewed by Qudus Olowo
What inspired you to establish Imodoye Writers Residency, and what personal meaning does it hold for you?
I established the Writers Enclave to share my devotion to writing and to enrich the literary community. In essence, the residency aims to empower writers to produce work of the highest calibre, and do hope its alumni would someday attain notable literary distinctions.
The residency is named “Imodoye.” What does the name mean to you, and why did you choose it?
Ìmọ̀dọyẹ, a Yoruba word, quite literally signifies that knowledge culminates in understanding.
“Ile-Iwe” forms part of the name “Imodoye Writers Enclave (ILE IWE)” cited in connection with the first writers’ residency programme in the Northern parts of Nigeria. “Ile” is a Yoruba word signifying “house”, and “Iwe” is a Yoruba word denoting “book” or “learning”. Hence, “Ile-Iwe” renders roughly as “House of Books” or “House of Learning”. In this context, it denotes a literary sanctuary wherein writers may devote themselves wholly to their craft.
How did your late parents influence your journey toward building a literary home for writers?
My father, Hon. Justice Mustapha Akanbi, taught me that integrity is a daily practice and that a nation is only as strong as its thinkers. My mother, Munfaat Aduke Akanbi, modelled grace, discipline, and an unshakable faith in education. Their home was always open to books, debate, and the disadvantaged. Imodoye is, quite literally, their legacy repurposed.
Incidentally, the same compound where they nurtured us now nurtures Nigerian literature – through the establishment of the Mustapha Akanbi Library and Resource Centre, located at Agba Dam Link Road, Ilorin.
When you welcomed the first set of fellows in 2022, what was your greatest hope for the residency?
My greatest hope was modest and profound: that a writer would leave Imodoye lighter than they arrived – lighter because a manuscript had advanced, a silence had been broken, or a solitude had been shared. I hoped the residency would prove that the community need not be accidental; it can be curated, protected, and made sacred.
What qualities do you look for when selecting writers for the Imodoye Writers Residency?
We look first for writers with hunger in their belly – not for fame, but for writings that would immensely stir others on their pages.
Discipline matters; talent without labour is a broken promise. We value writers who observe, read as keenly as they speak, who respect the communal nature of literature, and who bring projects that serve more than themselves. Generosity of spirit is, in many ways, the highest qualification.
Over the years, many writers have passed through Imodoye. What has been the most rewarding part of this journey for you?
With its singular union of creative liberty and structured guidance, indeed, despite its humble beginnings, that Imodoye Writers Residency has become an invaluable resource for emerging writers in Nigeria is most heartwarming to me, and ultimately rewarding. The residency has, to date, accommodated upwards of thirty fellows since its inception in 2022. Presently, the seventh cohort, 2026, were unveiled on the 13th of June 2026. To God be the glory. Alhamdulillah.
What do you think young Nigerian writers need most today: mentorship, community, funding, or something else?
Young writers need all three, but if I must choose one, I would say ‘community with consequence’. Mentorship without peers breeds dependency. Funding without structure breeds waste. But a community that reads critically, celebrates sincerely, and holds one another accountable – that is the soil in which mentorship and funding bear fruit. Nigeria’s young writers need rooms where excellence is the standard, not the exception.
Can you share a memorable moment or experience from the residency that has stayed with you?
I wouldn’t be able to single out one memorable moment exactly, as there were many such!
But let me say this: memorable moments lie in beholding the residents as they arrive, and in observing the surprise and delight that illuminate their countenances upon seeing the residency’s facilities, which they often confess surpass their expectations; together with, of course, the commentaries that subsequently grace their pages, it heartens me profoundly and invigorates me to do yet more.
What advice would you give to emerging writers who dream of becoming Imodoye fellows someday?
Read beyond your generation. Write beyond your ego. Revise beyond your affection for your first draft. And live a life worth writing about. Imodoye does not reward potential; it stewards promise. Come with a project you are prepared to bleed for, and a spirit prepared to be sharpened by others.
Looking ahead, what future do you envision for Imodoye Writers Residency and its place in Nigerian literature?
I envision Imodoye as an enduring node within the architecture of Nigerian letters – a place wherein the canon is interrogated and extended. In years to come, I hope a young scholar shall write: “The Imodoye alumni, and of course, other literary enthusiasts, maintained that Nigerian literature was the better for the advent of writers’ residencies such as that of Imodoye!”
Dr. Sheu-Usman Oladipo Akanbi is a Nigerian author, poet, dramatist, and literary administrator. Born on 3rd December 1968 in Jos, he joined the Association of Nigerian Authors in 1998 and is its current National President, having been re-elected for a second term 2025–2027. He is also a Council Member of the Reproductive Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG) and the current Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Book Fair Trust (NBFT).
His literary oeuvre spans poetry, prose, and drama, with notable works including: Tales Across the Plains, Connecting With My Past: A Mid-life Memoir, Weevils On Grains, and Labake Isale Eko & Other Plays.
In 2001, he founded the Imodoye Writers’ Enclave/Residency in Ilorin, which has become a distinguished haven for emerging and established writers to hone their craft through capacity-building and residencies. He is widely regarded as a committed advocate for reading culture, writers’ welfare, and the celebration of Nigerian literary achievement.
Dr. Akanbi is also a Reader in Agricultural Economics and Farm Management at the University of Ilorin, where he formerly served as Head of Department. He holds a B.Agric, an MBA, an M.Sc, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ilorin.
With over a decade in university teaching, research, and administration, his scholarship focuses on Agricultural Production Economics, Development Economics, and Agribusiness. He has over 40 publications, has supervised more than 100 undergraduates, 9 master’s candidates, and 1 Ph.D., and is presently supervising 3 Ph.D. candidates. He is a beneficiary of the Nigerian Research Fund, a member of the Nigerian Association of Agricultural Economics, and also serves on the Board of Balogun Gambari Microfinance Bank, Ilorin.
Prior to his academic career, he completed his National Youth Service at Government College, Ibadan, and subsequently worked with First Bank, NIMASA, and as State Project Coordinator for the Kwara State Fadama Project.
