Photo credit Babatunde Euba.
The ‘Home from Home’ project aims to explore the legacies of pioneering British Nigerians in the UK and their impact on society. The project highlights and celebrates British Nigerian contributions to the cultural, political, educational, artistic, spiritual, and sporting life of Britain and London, in particular. In this interview we feature British-Nigerian Playwright and academic, Dr Oladipo Agboluaje.
Who is Dipo?
I was born in London, then returned to Nigeria with my parents and siblings in the ’70s during the so-called oil boom.
We lived in Abeokuta where I attended St Bernadette’s Primary School and Abeokuta Grammar School. I got my Theatre Arts degree at the University of Benin in 1990. I worked for a while Aaragon Gallery in Lagos. The arts scene was lively at the time though nowhere as big as it is now.
I am a playwright and tutor. I have taught post-colonial literature and theatre, and creative writing at Goldsmiths, University of London, City University, London Metropolitan University, and most recently the University of Greenwich. I am also the treasurer and on the editorial team of the African Theatre Association (AfTA).
What does Home from Home mean to you?
I love travelling. I get inspired by discovering new places, people and things. While London is my base, I think about Nigeria all the time. I attended an event recently about Nigerians in the diaspora. It was interesting to see the different ways the attendees connected with Africa imaginatively and materially. Although we lived in the UK, Nigeria was on our minds.
I am surrounded by lots of family and friends from Nigeria, but the older generation is passing on. That has got me thinking about what
notions of home they had and why, in their old age, although they were African, they knew they would pass on here and most likely
be buried here.
How do you celebrate your Nigerian Heritage?
I don’t celebrate my heritage. It is what it is. When I think of a story, the characters first come to me as Nigerian. I eat Nigerian food
every day. When I attend weddings or funerals, there is always a strong Nigerian element to the proceedings. Most of my friends are Nigerian. We speak in Yoruba or pidgin most of the time we’re together. So it is not something that I am conscious of except when I am forced to, such as when the British part of me intrudes.
What does being British Nigerian mean to you?
I am a person of both worlds, so it defines my cultural sensibility, although as I get older, I find myself in conflict with these two identities. They
are not always easy to co-habitate so there can be tension between the two even when I’m not thinking about it. Having a British passport makes travel easier to some destinations but I still keep my Nigerian passport because if I have to travel to Nigeria, I would find it wrong to have to get a visa.
How do you stay connected to your identity?
I don’t have an issue staying connected to my Nigerian identity. I belong to many active Nigerian groups on WhatsApp. I donate to projects to develop my old grammar school. My friends in the arts specialise mostly in African arts and culture, so I see issues from a professional perspective and not solely from a perspective of cultural identity.
What do you imagine the future of the British Nigerian community to look like in the next few years based on your industry?
The arts and culture sector is going through a tough period due to incessant underfunding. But many of us are still making and promoting our work. We have a resilience that keeps us pushing forward no matter how bad the situation. Things may get worse before they get better but we must keep making opportunities for ourselves.
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Watch this conversation with Dr Dipo:
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