The stage drama ODIGBOSE is not just a play. It is a cultural project, written about 20 years ago by Otunba Dr. Chief Olawanle Wanle Akinboboye, Founder of La Campagne Tropicana Forest River and Beach Resort Lagos, and President of La Campagne Worldwide.
Otunba Akinboboye, a tourism and cultural entrepreneur, created it, not just for entertainment, but also, as a cultural theatre project that preserves African history, identity, and oral storytelling traditions through performance.
His motivation was clear: “Odigbose as you have seen tonight, is the authentic interpretation of what took place then. We have to start writing and putting out our own authentic narratives because of posterity, about what took place before and during the period leading to what the world knows today as the slave trade,” Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye said.
The story of ODIGBOSE is rooted in themes of heritage, displacement, resilience, and historical memory, particularly reflecting African experiences tied to identity and the trans-Atlantic slave trade narrative told from an African perspective.
The story is set in the 18th century and revolves around two African kingdoms living side by side:
Olumila, the larger and wealthier kingdom, ten times stronger and bigger than Jontolo, the smaller kingdom.
The play depicts how the stronger is always in a hurry to show its might over the smaller, how internal African disunity was tapped into and exploited by the whites into the slave trade.
It is characterized by drumbeats, African songs, African dances, entertainment, comedy and a narrative that helps the audience understand the different languages used throughout the play.
The stage version became known for blending dramatic performance with music, dance, and striking storytelling elements drawn from African culture, and reportedly featured performances involving Nollywood figures such as Norbert Young and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, alongside trained theatre performers and cultural dancers.
ODIGBOSE has not been confined to a single theatre space. Instead, it has been presented across multiple cultural and tourism-driven platforms.
It is an integral part of IPADA Initiatives Celebration at its home base, La Campagne Tropicana Forest River and Beach Resort, Lagos, Nigeria.
In year 2025, at IPADA Initiatives Celebration, ODIGBOSE staged Command Performance, was witnessed by high society, a gathering of returnees from the Diaspora which included people from the Caribbean, USA, Great Britain, Brazil, Morocco, Ethiopia, Libya and other places around the world, plus members of NACCIMA, traditional rulers, and students from various universities.
The stage drama ODIGBOSE is now transitioning into a full-length film titled: “So Long Odigbose,” which will further, take the story to the world.
From a beach theatre in Ibeju-Lekki to a global film project, ODIGBOSE has grown from a play to a movement: telling Africa’s slave trade story, not from the perspective of the slave master, but from the perspective of the African.
Below, are photo Memories Of ODIGBOSE Performance at IPADA Initiatives Celebration 2025.
