Peller Plans Livestream With Wole Soyinka, Promises ‘Proper English’ Session

Nigerian content creator Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, has announced plans to host Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka on a livestream, promising viewers a session featuring what he described as “proper English”.

Peller disclosed the plan during a livestream, saying he would provide more details about the proposed session at a later date.

“I want to do a stream with this man that knows book for the whole Africa, Wole Soyinka,” he said.

“I want to do a big stream with him. Don’t worry, I will announce it soon. I will tell you guys,” the content creator added.

Describing what viewers could expect, Peller said the session would feature sophisticated English and discussions he associated with previous generations.

“There is nothing like uneducated person no watch that live because you’ll be hearing some grammar, some talk from our forefathers. Everything you will be hearing it,” he said.

The remarks have drawn attention because of the contrast between Peller’s entertainment-driven livestreams and Soyinka’s reputation as a celebrated playwright, poet, novelist and public intellectual.

However, Peller did not announce a date for the proposed livestream, and it remains unclear whether Soyinka has accepted the invitation.

The plan was reported by TVC News, TheCable, Vanguard and The Sun on Wednesday, October 14. Their reports referred to Peller’s remarks during a livestream, rather than confirmation from Soyinka or his representatives.

Soyinka is one of Nigeria’s most internationally recognised literary figures. In 1986, he became the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

According to the official Nobel Prize website, the award recognised his literary work and its exploration of human existence through a broad cultural perspective.

His notable works include The Lion and the Jewel, The Interpreters and Death and the King’s Horseman. His writing spans drama, poetry, novels, essays and memoirs.

In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu renamed the National Arts Theatre in Lagos the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in honour of the writer, who turned 90 that month.

Peller, meanwhile, has built his public profile through social media entertainment and livestreams featuring informal conversations, humour and interactions with other personalities.

If the proposed session takes place, it would bring the audiences of two Nigerians known for very different approaches to public communication into the same online space.

For now, however, the proposed livestream remains an announced intention rather than a confirmed joint appearance. Further details, including the date and Soyinka’s participation, are still awaited.