ABUJA — It is often said that poetry does not pay, but on that Friday night at the Dunadura Restaurant in Abuja, that myth was shattered.
In a room packed with over 70 literary enthusiasts, corporate executives, and industry leaders, Serial Creative Adetimilehin “Vic’Adex” Inioluwa shattered the myth that “poetry doesn’t pay.”
Vic’Adex, a true polymath who operates as a Strategist by day, a Poet at night, and a Cultural Curator by weekend, launched his highly anticipated twin poetry collections, Poetry Has All My Pain and Love Through the Eyes of a Village Boy, amidst a theatrical display that culminated in a stunning 1 million Naira opening bid.
The event, held on December 5th, 2025, was less of a traditional reading and more of a cultural coronation. The atmosphere shifted from side-splitting nostalgia to the quiet introspection of grief, mirroring the contrasting themes of the two books.
The Million-Naira Moment
The climax of the evening arrived during the unveiling of the books. In a move that sent a shockwave through the venue, Mr Afeez Olajire, CEO of Ace, opened the launch with a staggering 1 million Naira bid for the first copy.
“Sometimes you set a bar, and then someone comes out of the blue and raises it,” remarked the fundraising moderator and award-winning poet, Pariolodo, as the audience erupted in applause.
The bid was quickly followed by substantial support from attendance and a flurry of commitments from attendees, supporting Vic’Adex’s transition from a “Village Boy” to a celebrated literary figure in the capital city.
A Night of Theatre: Nostalgia, Love, and Protest
The launch featured stirring performances that brought the written word to life, effectively turning the book reading into a stage play.
Spoken word artists Pariolodo and KJ kicked off the performance segment with a hilarious, dramatic reenactment of a ’90s secondary school romance. Channelling the characters “Ajasco the Loverman” and “Adunni,” they read aloud nostalgic love letters that had the audience roaring with laughter.
Lines comparing love to being the “sugar in my garri” and the “mosquito coil of my heart,” alongside promises of “Cabin biscuit and cold Gold Spot,” set a lighthearted tone. The duo then seamlessly transitioned from comedy to romance with a dramatic reading of “Adunni” from the “Love through the eyes of a Village Boy” collection.
The energy then shifted to an electrifying “Mashup Medley” performed by Vic’Adex and singer Anjolaoluwa, which seamlessly wove iconic pop anthems with the author’s raw verses.
The duo began with James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful”, paired with the poem Surrender at First Sight. The mood then dipped into heartbreak as they performed Styl-Plus’s “Olufunmi”, juxtaposed with “Bleaching a Memory of Pain.”
However, the room fell silent as the performance turned to social commentary. As Anjola sang the haunting chorus of Asa’s “Fire on the Mountain,” Vic’Adex delivered a scathing critique of the nation’s security crisis from his poem Three Rivers Flow.
“Hashtags are ashes used to tag the tombstones of our tragedies,” he recited, referencing the Chibok girls and the desolate rubble of Baga. The set concluded on a note of resilience, blending Sam Cooke’s “A Change Gon’ Come” with the defiant poem We Do Not Die Here.
The Showstopper: Anjola returned to the stage for a solo rendition of “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman, delivering a vocal performance that drew raucous applause and an ovation from the crowd.
Physical Theatre: In a stunning display of visual storytelling, spoken word artist Keesh, accompanied by a contortionist, performed the defiant piece “We Do Not Die Here.” The contortionist’s movements mirrored the twisting pain and resilience of the lyrics, creating an unforgettable image of survival.
The Survival Anthem: The theme of resilience continued with a soulful performance of “Survival” by Ire, grounding the audience in the reality of struggle and triumph.
The Double Life of a Poet
While the night was one of glitz and high-value networking, Vic’Adex revealed the gruelling reality behind the art. Known to his colleagues as a sharp Communications Consultant, he described the “crazy” balance of corporate life and creative passion.
“We make this joke that during the day I’m a consultant, at night I’m a poet,” Vic’Adex told reporters after the event. “I would do my crazy work from 8:30 to 5:30. I’m home around 9:00 PM, and I would begin to work and edit the manuscript till 11:00 PM or 12:00 AM just to ensure this collection was ready.”
He described the collections as “the book that finally made it out of the group chat,” a labour of love pulled from archives spanning 11 years of personal journaling.
A Message to the Readers
When asked what he hopes readers take away from the dual collections, the author’s wish was simple yet profound.
“I want them to feel seen,” he said. “I hope that when someone picks this poem… they are able to see that they are not alone. That whatever they’re going through, someone else has gone through it before and came out of it.”
Poetry Has All My Pain and Love Through the Eyes of a Village Boy are now available for purchase. The books feature innovative “scan-and-watch” technology, linking readers to digital performances of the poems and commentary from the author to catch up with the artist’s current philosophy on some of the themes of the book.
