The maiden edition of the festival was held in November 1999 at Jazz 38’s permanent site in Lekki, Lagos.
The festival also enables the participation of students[14] of primary and secondary schools and universities in Nigeria by introducing competition and mentoring opportunities for them.
[16] This theme was dedicated in loving memory of the great multimedia artist David Herbert Dale,[17] who died on Tuesday, 4 August 2019.
The festival was also slated to celebrate different literary icons who had died during the year, including Pius Adesanmi, Eddie Ugbomah, Bisi Silva, and others.
[18] The festival is always a time when there will be book reviews, film screenings, documentaries, workshops, plays and lots of presentations to thrill its guests and spectators.