ELIZABETH AMAIFEO­BU: A CULTURAL SOUL WHOSE DANCE HAS ENDED TOO SOON

It is with a deep sense of shock and sadness that I mourn the sudden passage of Elizabeth Amaifeobu (formerly Fagbeyiro), a singer, dancer, cultural enthusiast and organiser of the Igbalode Folklore Festival (IFF).

I first knew Elizabeth several years ago when my office was at the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), National Theatre Annex, Iganmu, Lagos. At the time, her name was Elizabeth Fagbeyiro, and I knew her primarily as a dancer.

What particularly attracted my attention was her remarkable ability to carry herself with grace, confidence and poise. Despite her plus-size physique, Elizabeth possessed an impressive flexibility and stage presence that made her stand out as a dancer. She had a natural connection with movement and performance that reflected the creative spirit within her.

When my office subsequently relocated from the NCAC to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), I lost touch with her and hardly saw her again, even until I eventually left NAN several years later.

It was therefore a pleasant surprise when, after many years, I recently reconnected with Elizabeth. I suddenly received a letter from her online inviting me to her cultural event, the Igbalode Folklore Festival, which held on Saturday, 15 August 2026.

Sadly, I could not attend the event because I was scheduled to be in Ibadan for the programme involving Dr. Wale Okediran. Nevertheless, I was able to support the event by promoting it through my blog and helping to create awareness around the festival.

Little did I know that Elizabeth, who had just successfully concluded her long-awaited cultural event, would be preparing to take her final bow.

While the creative and film community was still mourning the passing of Ogogo, Taiwo Hassan, and reflecting on his burial yesterday, news of Elizabeth's sudden departure came as another painful reminder of the fragility of life.

It is particularly heartbreaking to think that barely a week ago, she was alive, active and celebrating the culture she loved. Today, we are speaking about her in the past tense.

Elizabeth was not merely organising a festival. She was trying, in her own way, to create a platform where Nigeria's folklore, indigenous music, dance, storytelling and cultural traditions could move from ancestral spaces to the global stage.

Her passing is therefore a loss not only to her family and friends, but also to the wider cultural community.

May her gentle creative soul rest in perfect peace.

May God comfort her family, friends, colleagues and all who mourn her. And may the cultural vision she championed through the Igbalode Folklore Festival continue to live beyond her.

Rest well, Elizabeth Amaifeobu.

You had just finished your dance, but you did not know it would be your final performance before the curtain came down.

— Osezua Stephen-Imobhio
Founder/Festival Director, African Indigenous Language Film Festival (AILFF)