Abuja, February 14, 2025 – The Ambassador of Cuba to Nigeria, Miriam Morales Palmero, held a cordial and productive meeting with the renowned writer and Nobel Laureate in Literature, Wole Soyinka, as part of the preparations for the celebration of World Poetry Day, in which Cuba will have the honor of being the guest country.
The meeting, held in a warm and mutually respectful atmosphere, focused on the cultural programming of the event, which will take place in Lagos State. Among the key topics discussed was the participation of prominent Cuban poets and artists, who will share the stage with Nigerian and international counterparts in a celebration that aims to pay tribute to poetry as a vehicle for unity, identity, and cultural resistance.
One of the most significant moments of the meeting was the reflection on Wole Soyinka’s recent visit to Cuba in August 2024, on the occasion of the International Decade for People of African Descent, declared by the United Nations. During his stay on the island, Soyinka participated in various cultural and academic dialogues, including a meeting with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Minister of Culture Alpidio Alonso, reaffirming the historical ties that connect him to the Caribbean nation.
The relationship between Wole Soyinka and Cuba is deep and longstanding. The Nigerian intellectual has visited the island on multiple occasions since the 1980s, consistently expressing admiration for its cultural richness and its commitment to African and diasporic causes. He has maintained close ties with Cuban writers, scholars, and artists, as well as with cultural institutions that promote African heritage in the Caribbean.
The meeting between Morales Palmero and Soyinka not only reaffirms the excellent bilateral relations between Cuba and Nigeria but also highlights their shared commitment to art and poetry as tools for social transformation and identity affirmation.
The upcoming celebration of World Poetry Day in Nigeria promises to be a high-level intercultural dialogue, where Cuba’s poetic voice will resonate with strength, honoring the common legacy that unites both peoples. 
The Cuban delegation also included Ana Flavia Gómez Pavot, Third Secretary of the Cuban Embassy, while the Nigerian side was represented by Dafe Ivwurie, Director at Providus Bank, and Executive Director Jahman Oladejo Anikulapo.
(Embassy of Cuba to Nigeria)