LSUDS Presents
LISTEN
The biggest storytelling event in Africa. Eight editions. One auditorium. Thousands of lives changed by the power of a story told well.
About the event
Stories that reform, transform, and inform.
LISTEN is the annual storytelling event organised by the Lagos State University Debate Society. It carries the distinction of being described as the Biggest Storytelling Event in Africa — the most ambitious storytelling platform on any Nigerian university campus.
The premise is simple and profound: stories matter. The ability to tell a great story is a superpower — one that transforms ordinary words into extraordinary experiences, forges human connections, and allows us to travel through time and empathy together.
Unlike debates or speech contests, LISTEN is not about winning an argument. It is about truth.
Not a debate.
LISTEN is not a competition. There are no winners or losers — only storytellers and an audience forever changed by what they hear.
Rooted in truth.
Every speaker shares a deeply personal story grounded in lived experience — stories of struggle, growth, discovery, and the courage it takes to be honest.
Anchored by a theme.
Each edition is guided by a single overarching theme. Every story on stage connects to that theme through authentic, unscripted human experience.
Open to all.
Speakers are drawn from within LASU, from public life, and from the wider Nigerian community. LISTEN belongs to anyone with a story worth telling.
A movement.
LISTEN is a declaration that the stories of young Africans deserve to be told, heard, and celebrated on the largest possible stage — and beyond.
What the audience takes home.
LISTEN is not just an event. Every edition leaves its audience fundamentally changed.
8
Editions held
Since 2019 — growing every year
7,000s
Lives impacted
Attendees across all editions
11+
Notable guests
Nigeria's most celebrated voices
1
Venue
Buba Marwa Auditorium, LASU Ojo
Dare to dream.
Through the stories told at LISTEN, audiences encounter people who refused to stop at the boundaries of what was possible — and were changed by what they found beyond them.
Find resilience.
They encounter resilience in the stories of people who faced hardship and chose to rise — narratives that prove that survival is not the end of the story, only the beginning.
Own your story.
Attendees leave LISTEN more reflective, more courageous, and more willing to own and share their own stories — because they've seen what happens when someone dares to be honest.
Eight editions, one movement.
Every edition is a chapter. Together, they tell the story of LISTEN itself.
Edition I
SEED
20th October, 2019
The very first edition. A seed planted on stage at LASU that would grow into Nigeria's biggest storytelling platform. Speakers took the stage to share the origins of who they are — the seeds that shaped them.
Under President
Hezekiah Tiamiyu
Edition II
VISION
19th May, 2021
Stories of sight — of people who dared to see beyond what was in front of them. LISTEN II invited speakers to share the visions that drove them forward, even when the path was uncertain.
Under President
Oluwafemi Akanmu
Edition III
VOYAGE
23rd February, 2022
A journey across lived experience. LISTEN III explored what it means to set sail into the unknown — stories of departure, discovery, and the courage it takes to keep moving.
Under President
Oladunni Akinsanmi
Edition IV
ADVENTURE
11th January, 2023
Stories of daring. LISTEN IV celebrated the moments when people chose the harder, braver, more uncertain path — and came back changed. A night of fearless storytelling.
Under President
Titilope Ibrahim
Edition V
RESILIENCE
18th October, 2024
Widely regarded as an outstanding edition. LISTEN V held space for stories of survival, endurance, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when everything says stop.
Under President
Boluwatife Kolawole
Edition VI
EMERGENCE
10th July, 2025
Stories of becoming. LISTEN VI explored the moments of emergence — when people broke through the surface and stepped into their truest selves. Held at the Buba Marwa Auditorium, LASU Ojo.
Under President
Seide Agosu
Edition VII
ZENITH
25th June, 2025
A celebration of peaks. LISTEN VII invited speakers to share the moments that marked their highest point — not of perfection, but of purpose found and potential unlocked.
Under President
Aina Ayomide
Edition VIII
MOMENTUM
29th April, 2026
The most recent edition. LISTEN VIII explored the force that keeps us moving — stories of momentum built through discipline, community, and relentless forward motion. Held at the Buba Marwa Auditorium, LASU Ojo.
Under President
Asikaburu Miracle Ezinne
Voices that have graced the stage.
LISTEN has hosted some of Nigeria's most celebrated personalities across media, entertainment, and public life.
Denrele Edun
Shaffy Bello
Roseline Afije
Liquorose
Adunni Ade
Damola Olatunji
Seyi Edun Johnson
Mariam Apaokhagi Greene
Yemi Solade
Iremide Adeoye
Prosperity Olorunfemi
And many more across eight editions
Venue
Buba Marwa Auditorium
Lagos State University, Ojo Campus
Since its early editions, LISTEN has found its home at the Buba Marwa Auditorium on the LASU Ojo campus — a venue large enough to hold the stories, and the audience who needs to hear them.
Each edition of LISTEN draws a large and diverse audience to this space, creating a communal experience of emotional resonance and reflection that spills out long after the final speaker leaves the stage.
Address
Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos State, Nigeria
Stay connected
Be the first to know when the next edition is announced.
Follow LSUDS on social media or reach out directly to find out about upcoming LISTEN editions, speaker calls, and ticket information.