Nigerian Poet Ibquake Takes African Storytelling to Olympic Stage

Nigerian Poet Ibquake Takes African Storytelling to Olympic Stage

Nigerian spoken word poet Ibukunoluwa Aramide Ajagbe, popularly known as Ibquake, has represented Nigeria at the opening ceremony of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal. Her performance formed part of a major cultural showcase featuring more than 1,100 performers, marking the first Olympic event hosted on African soil.

Dressed in a striking white gown, Ibquake delivered verses celebrating African identity, heritage and the potential of the continent’s young people. One of her lines declared, “We carry a flame for the African child to look beyond the horizon… We are both root and revolution.” She shared the stage with prominent performers, including Baaba Maal, Kiné Lam, Daara J Family and Sona Jobarteh.

Reflecting on the historic moment, Ibquake expressed pride in being part of an event future generations of Africans would remember. She imagined telling her daughter that she witnessed the Olympics’ first arrival on the continent, adding that she would continue telling African stories “Powerfully… Boldly.” The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games run from October 31 to November 13, bringing together young athletes from around the world.