Pelu Awofeso, a Nigerian journalist and travel and culture writer, has announced the release date for his documentary on Bishop Ajayi Crowther, the first African Anglican bishop.
Late Crowther, a pivotal figure in Nigeria’s missionary history and a distinguished Yoruba linguist, was born in Osogun, now known as Ado-Awaye, in Oyo State.
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Mr Awofeso, the writer and producer of the documentary, announced on YouTube Friday that the 45-minute, 44-second film, titled “Mission to Osoogun”, will be released on 17 January.
In the trailer post, Mr Awofeso shared that the documentary project began in June 2022 when the “Crowther Documentary Project” team travelled to Osoogun, Oyo State.
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He mentioned that the Baale of Osoogun and other traditional community elders guided the team to various landmarks tied to the significant events of 1821.
Mr Awofeso, honoured by Nigeria Tourism as Nigeria’s best tour guide in 2017, also revealed that the team was taken to the site of Crowther’s parents’ home—what remains of it.
“Remarkably, what used to be a living, bustling community of 12,000 people enclosed by a wall and five gates is now a field of corn – deserted and desolate”, Awofeso said.
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Legacy
Mr Awofeso, who won the CNN/Multichoice African Journalist Award in the tourism reporting category in 2010, further emphasised that the late Crowther’s legacy is inspiring and a story that must be told.
He added that he believes documentaries about historical figures highlight the values these individuals stood for and the lessons they imparted, which he said are essential for both present and future generations.
He noted that this is relevant for Africa and the entire world, reiterating his passion for preserving and sharing such stories.
“Mission to Osoogun” is his fourth documentary project.
Ajayi Crowther
The late Crowther family was captured by Fulani slave raiders when he was around twelve years old, during the Yoruba civil wars, particularly the Owu wars of 1821–1829, when his village, Osoogun, was raided.
He was subsequently resold to Portuguese slave traders and shipped across the Atlantic to the New World.
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Crowther was later freed from slavery at a coastal port by the Royal Navy’s West Africa Squadron, which was enforcing the British ban on the Atlantic slave trade. The liberated individuals were then resettled in Sierra Leone.
In Sierra Leone, he adopted the English name Samuel Crowther and began his education in English.
He embraced Christianity and became part of Sierra Leone’s then-prominent Krio ethnic group.
He pursued studies in languages and was ordained as a minister in England, where he earned a doctoral degree from Oxford University.
He developed Yoruba grammar and translated the Anglican Book of Common Prayer into Yoruba. He also worked on a Yoruba version of the Bible and other language projects.
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