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From the #EndSARS protests in 2020, which captured global attention, to the ongoing #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests, Nigerians have continuously mobilized to hold their leaders accountable and demand better governance. The country is currently grappling with a rising cost of living and severe economic hardship. In fact, the inflation rate reached 34.2 percent in June 2024, with an average rate of 32.8 percent for the first half of the year, while the Naira closed June 2024 at ₦1,505 per dollar at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market. These harsh living conditions have spurred many Nigerians to take action.
Understanding the dynamics of these protests over the years requires not only a grasp of current events but also a deep dive into the history and literature that have chronicled Nigeria’s struggles and triumphs in the face of political adversity.
In our latest recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven essential books that offer a comprehensive guide to understanding governance and protests in Nigeria. These works of fiction, memoir, and scholarly analysis provide invaluable insights into the roots of political unrest and the power of collective action. Whether you’re new to Nigerian politics or looking to deepen your knowledge, these books will equip you with the context and understanding needed to navigate the country’s complex political terrain.
Read our recommendations below.
UNTOLD HISTORIES OF NIGERIAN WOMEN
AUTHOR: TAYO AGUNBIADE
GENRE: NON-FICTION
This book is a curation of insightful and engaging narrations aimed at freeing women from the margins of Nigeria’s history. It chronicles their protest movements against colonial administrations, including petitions on taxation and food price controls. It details a string of remarkable political landmarks which highlight women’s historical credentials as nationalists, as well as their voice in early male-dominated legislative institutions. It also narrates more contemporary episodes in women’s resistance against oil exploitation, environmental pollution and anger over the mass abduction of school girls. This timely preservation of the voice and agency of Nigerian women from a wide variety of colonial and contemporary documents will benefit readers interested in African history and gender and women’s studies.
GOVERNANCE AND POLITICS IN POST-MILITARY NIGERIA
EDITOR: SAID ADEJUMOBI
GENRE: NON-FICTION
Edited by Said Adejumobi, this book analyzes the progress made in Nigeria since the return to democratic rule in 1999 and the prospects of democratic consolidation in the country. After sixteen years under continuous military governance, Nigeria’s aspiration for a democratic structure was forsaken. This collection examines how democratic and developmental governance has again been denied and what must be done to chart a new and sustained course. The scholars who contributed chapters to this book explore various themes, including party politics, the electoral process in Nigeria, and more.
OIL ON WATER
Author: HELON HABILA
Genre: FICTION
In the oil-rich and environmentally devastated Nigerian Delta, the wife of a British oil executive has been kidnapped. Two journalists—a young upstart, Rufus, and a once-great, now disillusioned veteran, Zaq—are sent to find her. In a story rich with atmosphere and taut with suspense, Oil on Water explores the conflict between idealism and cynical disillusionment in a journey full of danger and unintended consequences.
As Rufus and Zaq navigate polluted rivers flanked by exploded and dormant oil wells, in search of ‘the white woman’, they must contend with the brutality of both government soldiers and militants. Assailed by irresolvable versions of the ‘truth’ about the woman’s disappearance, dependent on the kindness of strangers of unknowable loyalties, their journalistic objectivity will prove unsustainable, but other values might yet salvage their human dignity. The story explores the environmental and human toll of oil exploitation, and the political unrest it fuels, offering a gripping narrative on corruption and activism in Nigeria.
Cassava Republic Press is proud to announce the launch of their inaugural $20,000 Global Black Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize dedicated to exceptional works by Black women. Deadline: 30th June 2024. Learn more here.
AND AFTER MANY DAYS
Author: JOWHOR ILE
Genre: FICTION
During the rainy season of 1995, in the bustling town of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, one family’s life is disrupted by the sudden disappearance of seventeen-year-old Paul Utu, beloved brother and son. As they grapple with the sudden loss of their darling boy, they embark on a painful and moving journey of immense power which changes their lives forever and shatters the fragile ecosystem of their once ordered family. Ajie, the youngest sibling, is burdened with the guilt of having seen Paul last and convinced that his vanished brother was betrayed long ago. But his search for the truth uncovers hidden family secrets and reawakens old, long forgotten ghosts as rumours of police brutality, oil shortages, and frenzied student protests serve as a backdrop to his pursuit.
In a tale that moves seamlessly back and forth through time, Ajie relives a trip to the family’s ancestral village where, together, he and his family listen to the myths of how their people settled there, while the villagers argue over the mysterious company, who found oil on their land and will do anything to guarantee support. As the story builds towards its stunning conclusion, it becomes clear that only once past and present come to a crossroads will Ajie and his family finally find the answers they have been searching for.
In And After Many Days, Jowhor Ile weaves together personal and political loss until, inevitably, the two threads become nearly indistinguishable. This novel is a story of childhood, of the delicate, complex balance between the powerful and the powerless, and a searing portrait of a community as the old order gives way to the new.
WELCOME TO LAGOS
AUTHOR: CHIBUNDU ONUZO
GENRE: FICTION
When army officer Chike Ameobi is ordered to kill innocent civilians, he knows it is time to desert his post. As he travels toward Lagos with Yemi, his junior officer, and into the heart of a political scandal involving Nigeria’s education minister, Chike becomes the leader of a new platoon, a band of runaways who share his desire for a different kind of life. Among them is Fineboy, a fighter with a rebel group, desperate to pursue his dream of becoming a radio DJ; Isoken, a 16–year–old girl whose father is thought to have been killed by rebels; and the beautiful Oma, escaping a wealthy, abusive husband.
As they strive to find their places in the city, they become embroiled in a political scandal. Ahmed Bakare, editor of the failing Nigerian Journal, is determined to report the truth. Yet government minister Chief Sandayo will do anything to maintain his position. Trapped between the two, they are forced to make a life-changing decision. Welcome to Lagos is a stunning portrayal of an extraordinary city, and of seven lives that intersect in a breathless story of courage and survival.
THE MAN DIED: PRISON NOTES OF WOLE SOYINKA
AUTHOR: WOLE SOYINKA
GENRE: MEMOIR
During the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) Wole Soyinka was arrested and incarcerated for over 20 months, most of it spent in solitary confinement in a cell, 4ft by 8ft. His offence: assisting the Biafran secessionists. The Man Died, now regarded as a classic of prison literature, is a product of this experience. What comes through in the compelling narrative is the author’s uncompromising, principled stand on the universality and indivisibility of freedom and human rights. The book explores themes of political repression, resistance, and the struggle for freedom, making it a powerful commentary on governance and human rights in Nigeria.
SỌ̀RỌ̀SÓKÈ: AN #ENDSARS ANTHOLOGY
EDITORS: JUMOKE VERISSIMO AND JAMES YÉKÚ
GENRE: POETRY
In October 2020, Nigerians took to the streets to protest against police brutality, with their primary focus on the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a police unit notorious for unlawful arrests, murder, harassment, and torture. These protests, which occurred both in Nigerian cities and globally, inspired Verissimo and Yékú to invite poets to reflect on the events. The resulting anthology commemorates the #EndSARS movement and features a remarkable lineup of 32 poets, including both established and emerging voices like Gbenga Adeoba, Biodun Bello, Yejide Kilanko, Tayo Bello, Rasaq Malik, Uchechukwu Umezurike, Soji Cole, and Kola Tubosun.