Lagos is bracing for a powerful cultural and historical experience as the city prepares to host the stage production of Ejo’ngboro, a compelling new play commemorating the 80th memorial anniversary of Nigeria’s foremost nationalist, Herbert Macaulay. Written and directed by Muyiwa Oshinaike, the production opens tomorrow at the MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos, followed by a special command performance.
The play’s evocative title translates to “snake in the public,” a nickname affectionately bestowed upon Macaulay by the people of Lagos not because he was loud, but because his presence and ideas simply could not be ignored.
Spanning a rich history, the production traces Macaulay’s remarkable transformation from a British-trained civil engineer and surveyor who mapped the landscape of Lagos, to a fierce political agitator who founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party in 1923, laying the foundational blocks for the nation’s independence. Born in 1864 and passing away in 1946 after falling ill on active political service in Kano, Macaulay lived a life of multifaceted dedication to justice, self-governance, and cultural unity.
Director Muyiwa Oshinaike said that the project serves as a timely reminder of where Nigerian politics began, especially as the current political season unfolds. He emphasized that younger generations are losing touch with this vital history, noting that even the iconic one-naira note bearing Macaulay’s face has faded from daily circulation. Produced in collaboration with the Herbert Macaulay Foundation and the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the roughly seventy-five-minute drama aims to correct this knowledge gap and inspire citizens to take ownership of narrating their own history.
Bringing this layered narrative to life is a dynamic ensemble cast featuring veteran talents like Pa Amos Olutokun, Oluwasesan Adio, Friday Francis, Yusuff Usman, and Chinedu Micah Eziuku, alongside versatile performers such as Ruth Taiye Ogbodu, Iyiola Olatunji, and Godwin Gilead. As the curtain rises this week, the production invites audiences to reflect on the bridges built by a visionary pioneer and the enduring responsibility of keeping his legacy alive.
