The Annals of the Nigerian Academy of Letters is a NAL publication. This is the first number and it covers selected papers from the 1999 and 2000 symposia organized by the Academy. We have also included three speeches from ceremonies of the first and second convocation and investiture ceremonies of the Academy. These are the speech by the Honourable Minister of Education, Professor Tunde Adeniran, in August 1999, the Presidential address by Professor Ayo Bamgbose, the then President of the Academy in 2000, and an acceptance speech by an Honorary Fellow of the Academy, Mr. Gamaliel O. Onosode. The three papers included were given in 1999 and 2000. The first of these papers, "Poetry and African Development", was given by Professor RN. Egudu of the Department of English and Literature, University of Benin. Professor S.E. Ogude also of the University of Benin, gave the second paper, "Globalisation and African Development: Options for the 21st century". Both papers were given at the NAL symposium of 1999. The last paper, Literature, the Arts and Cultural Development was given by Professor Charles E. Nnolim of the Department of English, University of Port Harcourt at the NAL Symposium of 2000. All these papers have a common theme: the relevance of the Humanities to all aspects of National development. Steve E. Ogude Editor, August 2002