A Selection Of Notable Nigerian Books To Read

2006 was a very dynamic year for both Nigerian writers and other writers in the world.

I have to really take my time before I can select the notable books of 2006 with focus on Nigerian authors.

Globally, Nigerian writers hardly feature in the top ten books of the New York Times or other literary indicators of both most popular and bestselling books, because of the intellectual ignorance and arrogance of most readers in the developed countries who are biased against African writers.

Here are the notable books of 2006 from Nigeria.

Half of A Yellow Sun
By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Observer of London has described Adichie’s second novel as “'The many-sided nature of conflict is graphically realised in this stunning second novel, an immense achievement.' And in actual fact, Half of A Yellow Sun could be decribed as the coming of age of the genius of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, because of the maturity of her unique prose. 

The youngest writer to win the Booker Prize is our very own Ben Okri and Miss Adichie may break his record this year or next year.

The Activist
By Tanure Ojaide

Accomplished Nigerian poet Tanure Ojaide’s second novel The Activist is an apt analysis of the Nigerian crisis as Farafina says it “weaves
an intricate matrix of the conflicting needs of multinational oil
exploiters, military dictatorship, and local communities concerned
about their environment and livelihood.”

Pregnancy of The gods
By Odili Ujubuonu
Odili Ujubuonu's first novel, Pregnancy of The gods won the prize for fiction in Nigeria at the last convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) in November 2006.
 Pregnancy of The gods has been a good read for the depth of the narrative style of Ujubuonu as he was in a hurry to tell us the pathetic story of Ekemma the widow who had suffered great indignities to prove the paternity of her unborn child, since her husband suddenly died whilst she was pregnant.

I gave my copy of Pregnancy of The gods to the tentative director of my film Naked Beauty and won't be surprised if he decides to adapt for the screen.

June 12: The Struggle for Democracy in Nigeria
By  Abraham Oshoko

Many articles and features have been written on the annulment of the June 12 Presidential Election of 1993, but Abraham Oshoko’s book is a must read for those who are not well informed on the genesis of the bloody June 12 crisis and the grave consequences still plaguing Nigeria today.

June 12: The Struggle for Democracy is the first full-length graphic contemporary history book published in Nigeria.

The Architecture of Demas Nwoko
By John Godwin and Gillian Hopwood

John Godwin and Gillian Hopwood introduce us to the artistry and  poetry of the architecture of one Nigeria’s exceptional architects Demas Nwoko whose unique genius can be seen on the Dominican Institute in Ibadan and the other, the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre in Benin City.

Other notable books include:

Product of Africa
By Bisi Ojediran

Celebrated: Nigerian Women in Development
By Ayona Aquele-Trimnell

Ayona Aguele-Trimnell graduated with a double major in English and Sociology from Howard University, Washington D.C, and obtained a Masters degree in Education Development and Research from the same institution. She worked with the Institute for Urban Affairs and Research in Washington D.C. for seven years before moving finally back to Nigeria.
Over the last ten years, she worked at different times with the Ford Foundation Office for West Africa and Globacom Limited. She has founded two charity organizations, the Catholic Sisters United and the Shelter for Needy Children. Her publications include 'Who Will Love Me?', the story of the motherless in Lagos and 'The Migration of Native Born African Women into the United States' in the Institute for Urban Affairs and Research guide to African women in the United States.