Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
Nigerian playwright and filmmaker Ayọ̀dẹ́jì Àjàdí has won the £37,092 Kowitz Scholarship to study Creative Writing: Scriptwriting at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the United Kingdom.
Àjàdí announced the award in a statement shared publicly, describing the scholarship as an important opportunity to deepen his writing practice and develop the stories and perspectives that have shaped his creative work.
The scholarship places the Nigerian creative in an international academic environment known for its contribution to contemporary writing. For Àjàdí, the opportunity also represents a significant step in developing his work across theatre and film.
Ayọ̀dẹ́jì Àjàdí wins scholarship with ‘Sons of Anan’
Àjàdí secured the scholarship with his play Sons of Anan, a work that draws on African mythology and tradition while examining tensions between inherited beliefs and contemporary realities.
According to reporting by Punch, the play explores themes including power, gender and the forces that influence human relationships. The production was previously staged at the Muson Centre in Lagos.
In his own account of the scholarship, Àjàdí said the play had been a difficult creative journey. He explained that he wrote and produced Sons of Anan and invested heavily in bringing the production to life, despite periods when he questioned whether the project was worth the personal and financial cost.
The same work ultimately became the piece he submitted for the Kowitz Scholarship.
Àjàdí said the award was worth £37,092 and would enable him to study Creative Writing: Scriptwriting at UEA.
From theatre productions to international study
Àjàdí’s career has developed across several areas of the creative industry. His professional profile identifies him with Artrell Productions and records experience in writing, directing and creative strategy, alongside training in screenwriting, directing and theatre production.
His creative work has also extended beyond the stage into film. His publicly available professional information lists work across theatre and screen, while his account of the scholarship says he has written more than 10 stage plays and two films.
The trajectory reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of Nigeria’s theatre and film industries, where writers and directors can move between stage productions, screen projects, teaching and other creative disciplines.
For Àjàdí, however, the scholarship is not simply an academic achievement. His statement frames the opportunity around storytelling and the continued development of African experiences and perspectives.
He said the scholarship represents an affirmation of the stories he wants to tell and the perspectives from which he tells them. He added that studying in the United Kingdom would give him an opportunity to deepen his craft while continuing to explore the stories, histories and contradictions that influence his writing.
Why the UEA opportunity matters
The University of East Anglia has a long-established reputation in creative writing. Punch reported that UEA launched its first MA in Creative Writing in 1970 and has developed a strong international reputation in literary education.
The university’s creative writing tradition is associated with a number of internationally recognised writers, including Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan, Anne Enright and Nigerian author Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, according to Punch.
Àjàdí said the opportunity to study within that tradition was significant to him.
His scholarship therefore comes at the intersection of academic development and professional creative practice. Rather than abandoning the African experiences that have informed his work, he has indicated that he intends to carry those questions and stories into his new academic environment.
That perspective is particularly relevant as African writers, filmmakers and theatre practitioners continue to build audiences beyond the continent.
A scholarship built around African storytelling
The significance of Àjàdí’s award extends beyond the financial value of the scholarship.
Creative writing programmes can provide writers with opportunities to refine their craft, work alongside other writers and engage critically with different approaches to storytelling. For an African playwright working across theatre and film, such an environment can also create opportunities to place Nigerian experiences within broader international conversations about literature, performance and culture.
Àjàdí’s work reflects that intersection.
Songs of Anan — the play cited in reporting about his scholarship — uses African mythology and tradition as part of its creative foundation while exploring contemporary questions around power, gender and relationships.
His own description of his career similarly emphasises an ongoing interest in storytelling. He said he has acted, directed, produced, taught and collaborated across different projects, while continuing to return to writing.
The Kowitz Scholarship could therefore provide a new stage in a career that has already crossed several parts of the creative sector.
The story behind the award
Àjàdí’s account of winning the scholarship also highlights the less visible side of creative careers: rejection, financial pressure and uncertainty.
He said there were periods when he questioned whether his work was good enough and whether the sacrifices associated with Sons of Anan had been worthwhile.
The eventual scholarship, awarded on the strength of the same creative work, represents a sharp reversal of those doubts.
His experience illustrates one of the realities of creative professions: projects that initially appear unsuccessful can sometimes become the foundation for future opportunities.
Rather than presenting the award simply as a financial prize, Àjàdí has described it as an opportunity to continue developing his voice and approach to storytelling.
Nigeria’s creative sector and global opportunities
Nigeria has a large and increasingly internationally visible creative sector spanning literature, film, television, music and theatre.
Nigerian writers and filmmakers have increasingly found international audiences, while universities, cultural organisations, publishers and production companies outside the country continue to engage with African creative work.
Àjàdí’s scholarship adds another example of how Nigerian creative practitioners can use international educational opportunities to strengthen their professional development.
His case is also notable because the scholarship was awarded for a work rooted in African storytelling traditions rather than requiring him to distance himself from that background.
Instead, his stated intention is to continue exploring African experiences, histories and contradictions while developing his craft in a new environment.
What happens next
Àjàdí is expected to undertake postgraduate study in Creative Writing: Scriptwriting at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom.
The next stage will allow him to develop his scriptwriting practice within UEA’s established creative writing environment while continuing to work with the themes that have shaped his theatre and film career.
His public statement indicates that he sees the move as the beginning of another stage in his development as a writer and filmmaker rather than an end point.
For Nigerian and wider African creative communities, the award also highlights the growing opportunities for stories originating from the continent to enter international academic, literary and performance spaces.
Àjàdí’s achievement demonstrates how a locally rooted creative work can become a pathway to international education and professional development.
The £37,092 Kowitz Scholarship will give him the opportunity to sharpen his scriptwriting skills at UEA while bringing the experiences and questions that have informed his work into a wider creative environment.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Punch Newspapers — “Nigerian playwright wins £37,092 UEA scholarship”, October 5, 2026.
- Ayọ̀dẹ́jì Àjàdí — public statement on the Kowitz Scholarship and his creative journey.
- Ayọ̀dẹ́jì Àjàdí — professional profile and career information.
