BBC Pidgin Essay Competition: How former student para wen e win BBC competition
BBC News Pidgin don launch tear rubber writing competition for students wey dey for college, polytechnic and university for Africa.
Bode Asiyanbi Di competition go give students opportunity to write tori for Pidgin of 800 - 1000 words on di mata of; ''Africa Youth don ready for Political Leadership?''. Di winner go chop ogbonge prize wey go help progress im education. One former university student wey dis kain opportunity land for im head and change im life na Olabode Asiyanbi. Asiyanbi read microbiology for Obafemi Awolowo University for di town of Ile Ife, Osun state for south west Nigeria wen im first hear of di BBC African Performance Playwriting competition. BBC Africa wey base for London, na im dey organise dis competition since 1960 for pipo wey get interest to write radio movie. Professor Wole Soyinka na im do judge for di first BBC African Performance competition for 1960 Asiyanbi tell BBC News Pidgin say one day as e tanda for university library dey prepare for exam na im one BBC radio producer, Jenny Horrocks, call am for phone from London. Horrocks tell Asiyanbi say im don win di 2005 BBC African Performance Playwriting competition and dis news burst im brain. Asiyanbi tok say, ''na like say l wan craze wen Horrocks tell me dis jolli news.'' ''No be say l be professional writer l wen l submit my tori for di competition for 2004 but l don get interest to dey write tey tey.'' Dem give Asiyanbi prize money of one thousand pounds sterling wey big for im eye and im use di money pay all im school fees till im finish school. But wetin im no sabi be say dis prize money na small somtin sake of say dis award, wey im go win again for 2011, go launch writing career for di microbiology student. Asiyanbi don write wella for BBC radio drama, Story Story - Voices from di Market Horrocks wey be ogbologbo for radio drama na pesin wey recognize di talent Asiyanbi get so she introduce am to Akeem Mogaji, wey be senior oga for BBC Media Action Nigeria. BBC Media Action Nigeria, na im dey make Africa biggest radio drama, ''Story Story'' all over di kontri and some kontris for West Africa. Story Story dey teach pipo, wey dey live and work for one market, about life and Mogaji recruit Asiyanbi among oda top writers to work for'am. Asiyanbi tok say from there, im career just take-off like plane and till today im still dey use writing chop wella. ''If na school mata, unto say l win dis writing competition, Lancaster University for UK nack me scholarship to study Masters for Creative Writing'' according to Asiyanbi. ''E no finish for dia, if na career mata, l don use my skills work wit ogbonge radio and TV stations for Nigeria wey include; Africa Magic, Ebonylife and MTV Base Africa.'' Bode Asiyanbi (centre) for France wit ogbonge African and African American writers Even though Asiyanbi tok say im don become full time professional writer, e no stop am to continue to dey apply for writing competitions. Among di awards wey im don win include; three writing competitions from British Council Nigeria, one writing award from African Union and im win anoda BBC African Performance Playwriting competition for 2011. Just dis year, di 2018 BBC International Playwriting competition nominate Asiyanbi, dem don shortlist am two times before for 2007 and 2016 and im just return from France afta dem give am fellowship scholarship to study wit ogbonge writers like Nigerian Professor Femi Osofisan. Asiyanbi tok say evri tin wey im don achieve start wit dat writing competition wey im win for school. ''Make l no like you, any competition wey BBC dey do fit open big door for you'' Asiyanbi add put.