The documentary on Bishop Ajayi Crowther, the first African Anglican bishop, Mission to Osoogun, released last week is not his first.
It’s the fourth by acclaimed journalist, travel and culture writer, author and documentary filmmaker in a class of his own, Pelu Awofeso who is very passionate about what he reports and writes on with various publications and productions to his credit, including the latest documentary.
The documentary project began in June 2022 and produced with the guidance of the Baale of Osoogun and other traditional community elders and visits to various landmarks linked to the significant events of 1821, including what remains of the site of Crowther’s parents’ home, is vintage Awofeso who believes in preserving and sharing stories of historical figures and places.
“Bishop Crowther’s life is one of inspiration. His story is one that deserves to be told, as historical figures like him embody values that are essential for both present and future generations-not just in Africa and globally,” said Awofeso who has invested so much in telling the Crowther’s story from a fresh perspective.
Apart from producing documentaries, he has so much to show in books and various reports for his travels that have taken him far and wide across the country and beyond justifying being described as Nigeria’s most travel journalist.
Keenly interested in creative arts, festivals of all shades, museums and heritage sites, when he is not on the road walking or pursuing the next travel story in Nigeria and neighbouring countries like Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana, he is guiding visitors around Lagos and other places of interest.
A graduate of Geology and Earth Science from the Ogun State University, Awofeso’s travel writing dates back to 2001 at the Sunday Standard Newspaper in Jos, Plateau State where he ran a weekly travel column for 32 weeks.
Since July 2002 he has among others been a Travel and Arts Correspondent for Africa Today, Head of Corporate Affairs for First Nation Airways, Publisher, of Wakaabout (travel newsletter), Founder/CEO of Travel NEXT Door and Writer/Editor at Homestead Media and Publishing along with some other freelance and contract assignments.
As an author, he has edited Route 234, a book of travel stories, a collection of stories from Nigerian journalists, published Tour of Duty, which documents ten months of travelling across Nigeria, Nine Degrees North: Backpacking stories across Nigeria and Nigerian Festivals: The famous and not too serious.
His writing and work have won him many awards including the CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the Year Award in the Tourism Category in 2010. In 2017 he was named Nigeria’s best tour guide at the Nigeria Tourism Awards and in 2019, Best Travel Journalist.
Apart from initially being inspired to write to correct negative impressions about Nigeria in the western media, Awofeso says he writes so that Nigerians can appreciate their own country.
Instead of talking down the country, which Nigerians may have good reasons to do due to lack of good governance, he believes somebody must write beautiful stories about the country and he has done a good job concerning this despite the discouraging situation with our domestic tourism.
“What I hope to achieve in my lifetime is to inspire thousands of Nigerians to appreciate the travel assets scattered around the country,” he told Africaninwords.org in an interview.
Unlike many other journalists and writers who he says are not so keen on non-fiction and documenting everyday living that needs to be preserved for posterity, Awofeso says “I came into writing and to journalism knowing I wasn’t just going to be writing for today; I wanted to be writing for tomorrow.”
