Moghalu Advocates for Greater Honor for Soyinka at 92

Kingsley Moghalu, the former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and a presidential candidate, commended Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka as a national treasure and global icon on the occasion of his 92nd birthday, celebrated on July 13. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Moghalu highlighted Soyinka's enduring contributions to Nigeria, Africa, and the global intellectual community, noting that he became the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986.

Moghalu suggested that Nigeria should accord greater national recognition to Soyinka, including the provision of an honorary citizenship and a formal diplomatic passport, drawing comparisons with practices in other countries. He welcomed the recent conferment of Nigeria's highest national honor, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), to Soyinka, describing it as long overdue.

Moghalu expressed gratitude for Soyinka's continued influence and recalled his support for his presidential ambitions in 2019.