A video showing the heartwarming moment, Nigerian award-winning author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie paid a heartfelt tribute to veteran actor Nkem Owoh, fondly known as Osuofia, during the Things Fall Apart Festival held in Enugu has surfaced on social media.
The novelist while delivering her keynote speech, invited Owoh to the stage after sighting him amongst the crowd. She praised him as a cultural icon whose work has profoundly impacted Nigerians across generations. A video from the event, which quickly went viral on social media, captured the warm and emotional exchange between the two celebrated figures.
Referring to him as “the great Osuofia,” Chimamanda declared, “This man is an icon for us. I’m his biggest fan,” as the audience responded with loud applause and admiration.
Watch the video below:
“The great Osuọfia. This man is an icon for us. I’m his biggest fan.”
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says as she meets with Nkem Owoh on stage. pic.twitter.com/tw5eSFgQuA
— IJEM🌻 (@SoChukwumaijem_) July 6, 2025
The Centre for Memories in collaboration with the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), iTour Africa, and the National Council for Arts and Culture, organised the festival in celebration of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
Chimamanda was honored at the event with an honorary fellowship from ATPN in recognition of her contributions to preserving and promoting Nigerian culture through literature.
In her keynote address, the Half of a Yellow Sun author urged the Igbo community to embrace unity and introspection.
“Ndigbo, k’anyi tetalu n’ura — let us wake up,” she said. “Before we can confront external forces, we must first put our own house in order.”
The prominent storyteller further admonished Igbo political leaders to put aside partisan differences and work collectively for the betterment of their people. She also raised concerns about the decline of the Igbo language and the growing preference for Western names and identities, warning against cultural erosion.
For many, the most powerful moment of the evening was seeing the two icons of Nigerian culture—one from literature and the other from film—share the stage in honour of Chinua Achebe’s enduring legacy.
