Ibquake, a Nigerian spoken-word artist, was among the performers at the opening ceremony of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal.

Ibquake, whose real name is Ibukunoluwa Aramide Ajagbe, performed at the ceremony on Saturday, October 31, 2026. It was a historic event, as the Games are the first Olympic event hosted on African soil.

Nigerian spoken-word artist Ibquake, whose real name is Ibukunoluwa Ajagbe, performed at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony.

Credit: BellaNaija

She shared the stage with other African performers, including Senegalese musicians Baaba Maal and Kiné Lam, Gambian kora musician Sona Jobarteh and Senegalese hip-hop group Daara J Family.

Performers showcase African music, creativity, and dance at the opening ceremony of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal.

Credit: OIS/Kieran Cleeves.

The opening ceremony brought together more than 1,100 performers who used music, dance and other forms of art to celebrate Africa. Ibquake's inclusion meant that spoken-word poetry was also part of the performances at the historic event.

The Dakar 2026 opening ceremony brought together more than 1,100 performers in celebration of African culture and creativity.

Credit: OIS/Will Palmer

During her performance, she delivered a spoken-word piece that spoke about African unity and the continent's identity. One of the lines from her performance read, “We are both root and revolution.”

Ibquake has been involved in spoken-word poetry for several years. She was the first runner-up at the 2022 De9jaspirit Talent Hunt and has continued to perform at different events.

It's lovely to see spoken-word poetry included in an event like this, and even more interesting to see an African creative like Ibquake being part of it.

2026 Bernice Temitayo Olusaiye | Talkafricang.com