ABUJA, NIGERIA: Thursday, September 17, 2026 – For the Residents of the ANA Ken Saro-Wiwa International Writers’ Residency 2026, the journey of literary discovery today extended beyond the Residency space and into the wider creative community, as the cohort visited the Dike Chukwumerije Civic Centre in Wuye, Abuja, in a purposeful engagement with one of the capital’s emerging spaces for artistic exchange, collaboration and creative practice.
The visit was undertaken as part of the Residents’ deliberate use of Open Free Day, an initiative through which the Dike Chukwumerije Centre opens its doors every Thursday and Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., free of charge, to writers, creatives, researchers and members of the community seeking a conducive environment for work, learning and collaboration.
Situated at Suite 002, Fusion Plaza, Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Wuye, Abuja, the Centre offers free Wi-Fi, reliable power, comfortable seating for up to 40 people, and, perhaps most importantly, an atmosphere designed to allow ideas to gather, encounters to happen and creative work to take shape.
For the Residents, however, this visit became much more than an excursion into a new workspace. It became an encounter with artistic practice, lived experience and mentorship.
A Meeting of Creative Minds
At the Centre, the Residents presented their books to Dike Chukwumerije, whose own multidisciplinary artistic practice spans poetry, spoken-word performance, theatre and cultural production.
What began as a visit quickly developed into an intimate and engaging conversation. Dike held individual conversations with the Residents, exploring their respective artistic practices, literary interests, creative journeys and approaches to their work.
Drawing generously from his own experiences, he offered reflections that evolved naturally into an informal masterclass; sharing insights on the discipline of artistic practice, the realities of sustaining a creative life, the importance of experimentation and the possibilities that emerge when writers remain open to forms beyond the page.
For the Residents, it was an opportunity not merely to listen, but to participate in a living conversation about what it means to create, to remain curious and to build a meaningful artistic life. We are most grateful to Dike Chukwumerije.
Carrying the Residency Beyond Its Walls
The visit also provided an opportunity for the Residency to share a significant part of its own literary journey.
The Residency Manager, Husayn Zaguru, presented to Dike Chukwumerije and the Centre the anthology of the maiden cohort of the ANA Ken Saro-Wiwa International Writers’ Residency, titled: Osuofia (The Groundbreaker).
The anthology, which is a product of the Maiden Edition Cohort in 2025, brings together the creative voices of the Residency’s inaugural cohort, represents an important milestone in the evolution of the programme and its commitment to nurturing literary talent, fostering artistic exchange and creating platforms through which writers can encounter new audiences and possibilities.
Osuofia (The Groundbreaker) is scheduled for its official unveiling at the Mbari Session on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the ANA Secretariat, Mamman Vatsa Writers’ Village, Abuja.
An Open Day, An Open Door, An Open Imagination
The Residents’ engagement with the Dike Chukwumerije Civic Centre offered a fitting reminder that literary residencies are not defined solely by the rooms in which writers write. They are also shaped by the encounters, conversations, friendships and creative communities that surround them.
By taking advantage of Open Free Day, the Residents stepped into a space deliberately created for such encounters; using an open community platform to work, connect, exchange ideas and learn from another generation of creative practice.
The visit became, in its own quiet way, an extension of the Residency itself: “a meeting of writers, ideas and artistic possibilities.”
For the Residents of the ANA Ken Saro-Wiwa International Writers’ Residency, it was a worthwhile journey into the creative heart of Abuja, and another memorable chapter in a Residency defined by movement, discovery and the continuing search for new ways of telling stories.
* Husayn Zaguru is the Residency Manager, ANA Ken Saro-Wiwa International Writers’ Residency, Abuja
