Wole Soyinka Honored with GCON Award on Nigeria's Democracy Day

Nigeria celebrated Democracy Day on June 12, 2025, with President Bola Tinubu conferring national honors on notable individuals, including Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. Soyinka was recognized with the prestigious Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) award during Tinubu's address to a joint session of the National Assembly

This high honour, announced at the joint session marking Democracy Day, celebrates Soyinka’s decades of excellence in literature, activism, and democratic advocacy.  Lawmakers rose in applause as the Nobel Laureate received this recognition, reinforcing his status as a national icon.

See also: (In Nigeria) President Tinubu Honors Bayo Onanuga with CON Award for Decades of Journalism and Public Service on Democracy Day

Professor Wole Soyinka, GCON, Nigeria’s greatest playwright, poet, essayist, activist, Nobel Prize winner, African icon, global superstar, has inspired generations through fearless advocacy and extraordinary literature.

He held a radio station hostage to protest election fraud, endured solitary confinement, and championed justice with unmatched eloquence. His plays and essays continue to shape political thought, while his legacy as a public intellectual remains firmly rooted in global relevance.