Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian poet, playwright and activist was the first black African to be honoured with the Nobel Prize for literature in 1986. Soyinka turns 80 this week and continues to express his views as one of the most controversial writers of his generation. Deeply committed to social justice and the arts, Soyinka has been a thorn in the side of many Nigerian dictators – his outspoken activism landing him in jail and eventually forcing him into exile. Talk to Al Jazeera speaks to Professor Wole Soyinka, one of Nigeria’s most prominent voices, about Boko Haram, religion, politics and the state of Nigeria today.