Zulu Sofola was an influential Nigerian playwright, director, and academic, breaking barriers as the first published female Nigerian playwright and the first female Professor of Theatre Arts in Africa.

Sofola actively shaped Nigerian theatre, writing over 15 plays that confronted gender inequality, cultural traditions, and modernity’s impact on African society. Works such as Wedlock of the Gods and The Sweet Trap challenged restrictive norms and highlighted women’s struggles for autonomy. As a professor, she mentored generations of artists and scholars, eventually becoming the first female Head of the Theatre Department at the University of Ilorin.