THE IJEGBA REFORESTAGE PROJECT
Foundation BEginnings
When Professor Soyinka sought serenity in this sparsely populated region near Abeokuta, his vision was to construct his private residence in such a way that the surrounding forest would not be disturbed. However, after receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, he decided to extend this newfound serenity to scholars and artists. After familiarizing himself with the terrain during the construction of the main house and the challenges the remoteness of its location would present, his team of architects’ blueprints included building these new resident artist facilities so that the long term prosperity of the property as well as the Ijegba Forest could be ensured. The initiative to coexist with the forest and employ the use of environmental architecture was set into motion and thus, the monumental task that would later be referred to as The Ijegba Reforestage Project had begun.
the Green INitiative
The Ijegba Reforestage began out of necessity during the construction of the historical residency. Though the main objective of building in a peaceful location was met, it became apparent more considerations and concessions would be necessary to coexist with the forest. Forest plants that were removed to make space during construction of the main residence were strategically replaced by other native species of plants to stabilize the soil and make the land more navigable than before. From then on, concept was carried forward through the incorporation of environmental design into the blueprints of the foundation’s new facilities, by ensuring that waste is minimized by consuming only what is necessary, and the recycling and repurposing of materials to minimize the foundation’s carbon footprint . The Ijegba Reforestage has delivered on its initial goals of creating a nonintrusive haven where both artist and forest can thrive and continues today with the planned renovations on the grounds including solar panel installation.
SOLAR PANELS
Given the private forested nature of its location, the foundation grounds and all foundation activities have been powered by generators since its inception. In alignment with the foundation’s goal of green sustainability, plans for the year 2020 include the installation of solar panels on the premises. The proposed solar panels would provide clean, dependable power to the foundation grounds giving the resident artists the power and peace of mind to pursue their work.
The foundation also believes these solar panels could serve a dual purpose as a long term investment in the foundation grounds and in the community by increasing the total electric power available to use to host larger community events and creative performances while supplying the foundation’s surplus energy to surrounding neighborhoods.
The Amphitheater
The amphitheater on foundation grounds was originally designed and built to accommodate the annual performance of Professor Wole Soyinka’s play, “A Dance of the Forests” on his 80th birthday. Since then it has hosted rehearsals and performances ranging from drama to dance while serving as a gathering space for visitors during foundation events. The foundation intends renovate this structure and add more seating in order to accommodate more guests during foundation events and giving our resident artists a wider audience to perform to.
With these new additions to the foundation grounds, The Wole Soyinka Foundation seeks to better serve the needs of the artists, enrich the local cultural scene, and cultivate a healthy coexistence with the forest.
PROJECT COMPLETION
The Wole Soyinka Foundation estimates the Ijegba Reforestage Project to conclude in December 2020. If you have any questions or would like to know how you can help, feel free to contact The Wole Soyinka Foundation at info@wolesoyinkafoundation.org. We look forward to hearing from you!