*A Tribute to Mabel Segun: A Pioneer of Nigerian Literature*
While in primary school in the late 1970s, I read one of her most remarkable books, "My Father's Daughter", and instantly fell in love with her writings. She was a trailblazer, paving the way for other female writers like the late Zulu Sofola, Buchi Emecheta, Flora Nwapa, Zainab Alkali, and many others. I joined the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) in 1998 and was delighted to encounter many of these pioneering writers. I aspired to write like them one day, never imagining that I would one day lead the association.
It was by virtue of my position that I found myself leading the ANA delegation to her funeral. I was accompanied by Dr Taofeek Olatunbosun, Chairman of the Lagos chapter of ANA, and his immediate predecessors, as well as Mr Muyideen Olawoyin of the Kwara chapter and other members of the Lagos chapter. We received an invitation from her only daughter, Omowumi Segun.
Mabel Dorothy Okanima, née Aig-Imoukhuede, was born on February 18, 1930, to the family of Venerable Isaiah Aigbovbioise and Eunice Aig-Imoukhuede from Sabongida Ora. Her literary-inclined father wrote the first Ora primer, a short story about Ora, and was translating the Yoruba Hymn book into Ora when he passed away at the age of 39. He had composed the first verse of the well-known Yoruba song, "Iwe kiko, laisi oko ati ada, ko pe o...", inspired by his farming background.
Mabel Segun had her primary education in Edunabon and Akure. From 1942 to 1947, she attended the oldest girls' school in Nigeria, CMS Girls' School, Lagos. She proceeded to University College, Ibadan (now the University of Ibadan), then a college of the University of London. She was part of the second intake into the college and graduated in 1953 with a BA in English, Latin, and History. At college, she showed early promise as a writer and sportswoman. She was deputy editor and advertisement manager of the University Herald, with Chinua Achebe as editor, and contributed poems, short stories, and articles to the pioneer student magazine.
In 1964, a short story she wrote in the year of her graduation won the maiden edition of the Nigerian Festival of the Arts Literature Prize. She went on to win numerous literary prizes, including the NLNG prize for children's literature, for which she is considered a doyen. She was a founding member and one-time registered trustee of Africa's largest writers' body, the Association of Nigerian Authors, founded by Chinua Achebe and other pioneering Nigerian writers.
The Association of Nigerian Authors owes Mabel Segun eternal gratitude for her pivotal role in brokering the current peace within the organisation. During the 2015 crisis, when key members of the association's Board of Trustees, including the late Kole Omotesho and Labo, were unavailable to sign crucial documents, Mabel Segun's signature proved instrumental in resolving the needless court cases initiated by some younger members of ANA at the time. Her actions exemplify the unwavering commitment to organisational success that distinguishes the pioneer generation to which she belonged.
May her soul rest in eternal peace.
Usman Oladipo Akanbi, PhD
President, Association of Nigerian Authors
