Kaduna-born writer, painter and cultural entrepreneur Suchet Baba has underscored the need for Northern Nigeria to tell its own stories through art, literature and creative expression, saying authentic narratives are essential to preserving the region’s cultural identity and challenging long-standing stereotypes.
Baba, founder and festival director of Arts and Vibes, has dedicated her work to amplifying underrepresented voices and creating platforms for young creatives across Northern Nigeria to tell their stories on their own terms.
According to her, the region’s stories are often overlooked, misrepresented or filtered through external perspectives, making it crucial for Northern artists and storytellers to reclaim ownership of their narratives.
Driven by a commitment to reshape perceptions of Northern Nigeria, Baba uses contemporary art and storytelling to document, preserve and redefine cultural identities while encouraging young people to embrace creative expression beyond traditional and ethnographic boundaries.
She founded Arts and Vibes in Kaduna in 2021 as a creative hub where artists, writers and young people collaborate, exchange ideas and showcase their talents. Since then, the initiative has evolved into a vibrant cultural movement promoting dialogue, artistic innovation and creative excellence across the region.
Baba’s literary works have appeared in publications including Brittle Paper, Kalahari Review, Afritondo and Punocracy, where she explores themes of 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 an accomplished visual artist. Her exhibitions include, The Artists Commune (2025) and Young, Fresh and New by Wunika Mukan Gallery (2026).
Through speaking engagements and media appearances on platforms such as Microsoft Afriweek, Channels Television, TVC News, Premium Times, Leadership Newspaper, Pulse Nigeria and Voices of Nigeria, Baba continues to advocate for greater investment in Northern Nigeria’s creative ecosystem.
For Baba, telling Northern Nigeria’s stories goes beyond representation. It is about ensuring that future generations inherit narratives that truthfully reflect the complexity, diversity and richness of the region’s people, cultures and heritage.
