Phibbian Muthama, a published author and Swahili language expert from Kenya, has arrived in Nigeria to join her other Nigerian colleagues for the April/May 2026 edition of the Ebedi International Writers Residency, Iseyin, Oyo State.
A statement from the Residency indicated that Muthama will use her four-week stay to work on a new book of fiction, as well as introduce the Swahili language to some secondary school students in Iseyin as part of her mentoring project during her Residency.
Muthama was quoted as saying: “I am passionate about using Kiswahili as a bridge—connecting cultures, promoting inclusivity, and empowering language with the hope of Swahili becoming our African official language in line with the AU Agenda 2063.”
The Ebedi International Writers Residency is a free facility for writers who are in need of a conducive environment to complete their ongoing literary works.
Founded in 2010 by a former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and current Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Dr. Wale Okediran, the Residency has hosted about 400 writers from 12 African countries since its inception.
