Why Northern Nigeria Needs to Tell Its Own Stories — Suchet Baba

By Ayo Onikoyi

Suchet Baba, a writer, painter, and cultural entrepreneur from Kaduna, emphasizes that Northern Nigeria must narrate its own stories through art, literature, and creative expression, arguing that genuine narratives are essential for preserving the region’s cultural identity and confronting entrenched stereotypes.

As founder and festival director of Arts and Vibes, Baba has structured her work to amplify underrepresented voices and provide platforms for young creatives throughout Northern Nigeria to share their experiences on their own terms.

She notes that the region’s stories are frequently overlooked, misrepresented, or filtered through external viewpoints, underscoring the need for Northern artists and storytellers to claim ownership of their narratives.

Motivated by a desire to reshape perceptions of Northern Nigeria, she employs contemporary art and storytelling to document, preserve, and transform cultural identities, while urging young people to pursue creative expression beyond conventional and ethnographic limits.

Arts and Vibes, launched in Kaduna in 2021, began as a creative hub where artists, writers, and young people collaborate, exchange ideas, and display their talents. Over time, the platform has evolved into a cultural movement that fosters dialogue and artistic innovation across the region.

Her literary output has earned recognition, appearing in outlets like Brittle Paper, Kalahari Review, Afritondo, and Punocracy, where she examines identity, memory, culture, and belonging. She was longlisted for the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize and shortlisted for the 2023 Alinea Prize in Nonfiction and the 2018 Okada Books Campus Writing Challenge.

In addition to writing, Baba is a visual artist whose exhibitions include Young, Fresh n New at Wunika Mukan Gallery in 2026 and The Artists Commune in 2025.

Through speaking engagements and media appearances on platforms like Microsoft Afriweek, Channels Television, TVC News, Premium Times, Leadership Newspaper, Pulse Nigeria, and Voices of Nigeria, she advocates for increased investment in Northern Nigeria’s creative ecosystem.

For Baba, narrating Northern Nigeria’s stories transcends mere representation; it aims to ensure that future generations inherit narratives that capture the truth, complexity, diversity, and richness of the region’s people and cultures.