Bolanle Austen-Peters Celebrates at 50
When age 50 hit Bolanle Austen-Peters, it didn’t come with the baggage of shrivelled skin and greyed mane. Rather, it met a woman whose self-esteem is high up there and whose smile has retained the allure and shine of a life of contentment. In spite of being an art-lover, BAP, as she is popularly known, shuns the limelight. But it was the svelte beauty’s 50thbirthday days back and friends and associates did not allow her to escape into her shells or bury herself in work as she was wont to.
Still smarting from the unfortunate deletion of her Instagram page by hackers, she had created another where she announced her birthday; “(I am) 50 today and thanking God for His mercies. My IG was maliciously deleted so this is my new handle. Thank you all for being part of my journey. This post opened a floodgate of good wishes from followers, fans and celebrities who have encountered her since she returned to Nigeria to set up Terra Kulture in 2003.
Commenting on her birthday post, a superstar actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekehinde expressed surprise at BAP’s age and wished her more wisdom and grace. BAP later hosted friends to an intimate dinner where the shouts of ‘Life begins at 50’ rend the air. She also went to church for a thanksgiving service and had a poolside party afterwards.
A law graduate of the University of Lagos, she went on to earn a master’s degree in international law from the London School of Economics and Political Science. BAP, whose father is the legendary legal titan, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), founded Terra Kulture, an educational and recreational organization in 2003 to promote the richness and diversity of Nigerian languages, arts and culture. And she is in eternal awe of Tayo Aderinokun, the late former MD of Guaranty Trust Bank, who brought into her Terra Kulture dream and helped fund it. Now, Terra Kulture is regarded as the quintessential cultural hub for the protection of Nigerian culture.
Aderinokun may be dead, but BAP has not been short of benefactors. She found favour before the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, thanks to her good friend from UNILAG, Kazeem Adeniji, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice who deployed his closeness to the governor to swing a lot of deals her way. BAP is the brains behind Wakaa! The Musical, the first Nigerian musical to make it to the global stage; the Ebola movie, 93 Days starring among other top stars, American actor, Danny Glover; and Saro: The Musical, which was her first musical venture.