Wole Adedoyin interviews Opanah Mya Ige-Edaba: My Poem Focuses on Social Justice

WA: CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AS A POET?
OPANAH: My name is Opanah Mya Ige-Edaba. I started writing poetry as a quiet habit, a way to clear my head and hold onto thoughts I could not say out loud. For a long time, it was something I kept to myself. But over time, I realized these words carried more than just emotion. They carried patterns, questions, and pieces of me I wanted to understand better. That’s when I began to share. One of my poems, Mother Earth, was published in The Future, a collection by Idios Creatives.

WA: HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS POETRY COMPETITION?
OPANAH: I was sent the IHRAM website link by a family member.

WA: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS COMPETITION?
OPANAH: I wrote this poem because I am learning what it means to hold space in a world that tries to shrink you. As a woman preparing to enter a male-dominated field, I’ve felt the pressure to stay quiet, to be less. But poetry lets me be whole. It lets me speak with clarity when I feel unheard. This competition felt like a place where truth was welcome, and I had something to say.

WA: WHAT SPECIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE DID YOUR POEM FOCUS ON?
OPANAH: My poem focuses on social justice.

WA: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT PARTICULAR HUMAN RIGHTS THEME FOR YOUR POEM?
OPANAH: I chose social justice because it allowed me to explore how colonialism, forced systems, inequality, and lost identity still affect African lives today. My poem speaks to the lasting impact of being shaped by powers we did not choose, and how that history shows up in our politics, our pain, and even our silence.

WA: CAN YOU SHARE THE INSPIRATION OR STORY BEHIND YOUR SUBMITTED POEM?
OPANAH: I was inspired by Obongjayar’s Message in a Hammer, especially the line, “if you’re gonna speak, then speak with your chest.” The song is about pushing back against oppressors with boldness, and that really stuck with me. I wanted my poem to carry that same energy.

WA: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR POETIC STYLE OR APPROACH TO WRITING ON SOCIAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES?
OPANAH: My style is rooted in truth and memory. I write to confront silence and carry voices forward. Each poem is a small act of reclaiming.

WA: WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE WHILE WRITING YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS COMPETITION?
OPANAH: The hardest part was holding so much truth without letting it overwhelm the poem. There was so much pain, history, and emotion to carry, and I didn’t want the weight of it all to drown the message.

WA: HOW DO YOU THINK POETRY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA?
OPANAH: Poetry gives us a way to remember together. It lets us turn pain into something we can carry and share. In my poem, naming places like Chibok and Congo was about reminding us that these stories belong to all of us, and that silence should never be our only response.

WA: IN WHAT WAYS HAS PARTICIPATING IN THIS COMPETITION CHANGED OR BROADENED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON HUMAN RIGHTS?
OPANAH: It showed me that in Africa, migration is often a search for freedom. Writing about the wind sailors made me see that people are not just moving to escape something. Many are searching for a place where they can live with dignity, speak freely, and be fully themselves.

WA: WERE THERE ANY OTHER POEMS OR POETS IN THE COMPETITION THAT PARTICULARLY MOVED OR INSPIRED YOU?
OPANAH: I didn’t get the chance to read any other entries, but I’m sure there are powerful voices among them.

WA: WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR POEM?
OPANAH: That Africa is still alive, still rising, and still full of strength. We are not broken. We are becoming. And we are far from finished.

WA: HOW HAS THIS COMPETITION HELPED SHAPE YOUR GROWTH AS A POET AND AS A HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE?
OPANAH: I haven’t written a poem about my people in a while, and this competition reminded me that the fight for justice is not a solo one. We are all individual parts of something bigger.

WA: DO YOU BELIEVE POETRY HAS A UNIQUE ROLE IN CREATING AWARENESS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES? WHY?
OPANAH: Yes. Poems act as microphones. They amplify voices that are often ignored and help people feel the weight of issues that might otherwise be overlooked.

WA: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE COMPETING WITH POETS FROM OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES?
OPANAH: I loved the idea of it being an African thing—people from different countries, cultures, and upbringings all sharing their take on the same rights. It reminded me how diverse we are, but also how connected our struggles and stories can be.

WA: WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE EXPERIENCES AND THE THEMES YOU EXPLORE IN YOUR POETRY?
OPANAH: I am about to begin my journey in a male-dominated field, and even before starting, I have already been told that what I am reaching for is too ambitious. That pressure to shrink or doubt myself connects deeply with the themes in my poem. It is about the fight to take up space, to resist fear, and to grow on my own terms.

WA: WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE YOUR POETRY WILL HAVE ON BOTH AFRICAN SOCIETIES AND THE GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT?
OPANAH: I hope it sparks reflection—not just about what is wrong, but about what is possible. If it can challenge how people see the world or shift even one mindset, then it has done something meaningful.

WA: HOW DO YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE USING POETRY AS A TOOL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY?
OPANAH: By staying close to real stories. I want to write about what people actually live through, not just what headlines focus on.

WA: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FUTURE ENTRANTS OF THIS COMPETITION?
OPANAH: Start with what moves you. Do not try to write the perfect poem. Write the truest one. Let your background, your questions, your pain, and your joy shape the work.

WA: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ANY UPCOMING POETRY PROJECTS OR PUBLICATIONS YOU’RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
OPANAH: I do not have a specific project at the moment, but this competition reminded me that I still have so much to say. I plan to keep writing, experimenting, and building something I can share when it feels ready.

Opanah Mya Ige-Edaba is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and first-year university student in Nigeria. With a deep-rooted love for drawing, painting, and poetry, she explores memory, identity, and justice through her creative work. Her writing often centers on women, belonging, and migration, tracing personal and collective histories with tenderness and truth. A published contributor to a short story collection, Mya believes in the healing power of art and remains committed to telling stories that stir empathy, challenge silence, and celebrate resilience. In this interview with Wole Adedoyin, she speaks on her work and creative journey.