By Victoria OKpanachi
The Department of English and Literary Studies, Federal University Lokoja (FUL), has hosted its first-ever International Conference on Young Adult Literature, bringing together scholars, researchers and other stakeholders to examine the growing influence of young people on contemporary literature, language and popular culture.
The conference, which held recently, at the Multipurpose Hall, Felele Campus of the university, was themed “Youth Voices Unbound: Reimagining Worlds Through Young Adult Literature, Language and Popular Culture.”
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Gbenga Ibileye, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Salihu Musa, described the conference as timely and significant, considering the increasing role of young people in shaping contemporary conversations and cultural practices.
The VC noted that young people were creating new spaces for self-expression, negotiation and participation, adding that young adult literature and popular culture should not be treated merely as entertainment or peripheral areas of academic inquiry.
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He extended the university’s regards to distinguished guests, particularly participants who travelled from far and wide to attend, describing the gathering as a rare opportunity for scholars, researchers and other stakeholders to examine the place of young people in contemporary literary, linguistic and cultural conversations.
Prof. Ibileye commended the Department of English and Literary Studies, for their vision, dedication and commitment to organising the international conference.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Prof. Abel Joseph, observed that young adults now live in an ecosystem where a novel can become a Netflix production, a name can become a brand and an idea can grow into a movement.
He said the boundaries between books and popular culture had collapsed, adding that academic scholarship must respond to the changing relationship between literary works and contemporary cultural expressions.
Prof. Joseph explained that the conference was designed to interrogate these intersections, listen to researchers, encourage intellectual debates and promote productive disagreements among participants.
Similarly, the Head of the Department of English and Literary Studies, Dr Peter Okpeh, said the conference theme addressed an important subject that could no longer be overlooked, stressing that young people had ideas, experiences, dreams and stories that deserved to be heard.
He noted that young people were not just leaders of tomorrow but were already contributing to society in different ways through books, music, social media, films and everyday conversations.
The Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Kogi State, Hon. Aridajo Monday Anyebe, who attended as Special Guest of Honour, said the narrative around youth participation was changing, as young people were increasingly being given opportunities to express their views and have their contributions taken seriously.
In her remark, the Chairman of the T.Y. Buratai Literary Initiative, Dr Lizi Ben-Iheanacho, said the T.Y. Buratai Literary Initiative is a literary incubator that encourages young adults to write and publish their works.
Dr Lizi described young adult literature as an emerging autonomous genre that deserved greater intellectual attention, noting that FUL, as an emerging institution in educational leadership, had taken an important step by bringing scholars together to explore the subject.
She commended FUL for organising the conference, expressing the hope that the university would sustain the initiative rather than make it a one-off academic event.
The conference featured keynote presentations by Prof. Mabel Evwierhoma of the University of Abuja and Prof. Karin Lesnik-Oberstein of the University of Reading, United Kingdom.
Other lead paper presenters included Patrick Oguejiofor, a young adult author and publisher, and Dr Lizi Ben-Iheanacho, while Chief Dr Iganya Joy Agene Idoko, Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank, was recognised as a Distinguished Global Youth and Eco-Future Awardee.
