Author: Tolu

A Girl Named Disaster is a children novel written by author Nancy Farmer. It was published in 1996 by Orchard Books. This English novel has 320 pages. In 1997, the author won the Newbery Honor for the novel. It was also a finalist for the National Book Award for young people’s literature. A Girl Named Disaster sheds light on the qualities needed to survive in a hostile environment (particularly by a woman), coming-of-age and the availability of spiritual guidance. CHARACTERS The list of characters in this novel are: Nhamo Jongwe (the book’s main character), Aunt Chipo (Nhamo’s aunt), Masvita (Nhamo’s…

Kambari People are found in an ancient rural community in Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State. It is located about 260 kilometers from the state’s capital. The people are one of the few primitive tribes in Nigeria; the people still practice nudity. Nudity is part of their way of life as their men, women and young girls go about their day-to-day activities in the nude. They are half-covered during their market days where they sell their agricultural produce. There is no sign of infrastructural development in their community (the region cannot be found on google map) despite this, they…

If you haven’t tasted a bushmeat pepper soup, I wonder if you would ever taste any better pepper soup. This dish is common in the rural areas of the Southern parts of Nigeria. The Igbo and Yoruba people, most especially, have men who hunt for these animals in their forests and farmlands. Hunters who kill these bushmeats (squirrels, grasscutters, antelopes, etc.) are regarded as skillful men. These animals are taken home to be cooked and eaten by their family. These days, bushmeats are sold on major highways by the hunters. There is nothing as awesome as preparing this bushmeat with…

If you have to visit a new world, then you should visit the Northwestern part of Nigeria. Jigawa State, nicknamed the ‘New World,’ is one of the northwestern states in Nigeria. The state’s capital is Dutse. The state has Kano and Katsina State as borders to the west, Bauchi State to the east and Yobe State to the northeast. It also has an International border with Zinder region in the Republic of Niger. Jigawa is a wide land for tourists with 27 Local Governments Areas. They are: Auyo, Babura, Biriniwa, Birnin Kudu, Buji, Dutse, Gagarawa, Garki, Gumel, Guri, Gwaram, Gwiwa,…

The Jukun People are an ethnolinguistic group in Nigeria and some parts of West Africa. The people are majorly found in Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Adamawa, and Gombe States in Nigeria. They are also found in parts of northwestern Cameroon. The people traced their roots to the people of Kwararafa. The Jukuns are a major ethnic group in Northern Nigeria as most of the tribes in the north-central trace their origin to them. The people are divided into two sub-groups, the Jukun Wanu and Jukun Wapa. The main center/capital of the people is Wukari and it is headed by the…

Nigerian local restaurants are called ‘Buka,’ short for Bukateria, especially in the Southwestern part of the country. Some people also refer to this place as ‘Mama put’. This is a place where cooked foods are being sold. It is majorly a small building erected with planks, with benches for customers to sit. Bukateria in this part of the world is always named according to the owner’s offspring. Names like Mama Nkechi, Iya Basira, to mention a few, are been used. Bukateria has been rescuing bachelors, students, and menial job workers from ages past. It is also home to the Nigerian…

Fura Da Nono is a Northern Nigeria drink that is native to the Fulani tribe. Fura da nono means millet and milk. Nono is a locally fermented milk with a consistency that is thick but not quite as thick as yoghurt. The Northern part of Nigeria is home to herdsmen who rear cattle, so the milk factory (cows, goats) from which this drink is gotten is readily available. You will definitely get the ingredients for this menu from the local Hausa communities around you. In Northern Nigeria, the vendors mold the fura (millet) into a ball and it’s mashed into…

One of the top destinations of tourists in Nigeria, especially the South-eastern part is the ‘Coal City State’ of Enugu State. It is nicknamed the Coal City State because coal was first mined in its territory: Udi Hills. The state has a total land area of 7,161-kilometer sq., so there are enough grounds to cover when you visit. The state shares borders with Abia State and Imo State to the south, Ebonyi State to the east, Benue State to the northeast, Kogi State to the northwest and Anambra State to the west. The capital city of Enugu state is also…

The Lover’s Dictionary is a fictional book/novel written by American author David Levithan. It is his first novel for adults. It was published in 2011 by Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux. The book tells a modern love story through dictionary entries which are brief and concise, with a very unusual pattern and style. Over a hundred words were picked to form the Lover’s Dictionary in its 211 pages. INSPIRATION BEHIND THE BOOK The idea for the book was inspired by Valentine’s Day tradition in which David Levithan (author) writes a story for a group of family members and friends. David noticed…

The Urhobo people are located in Southern Nigeria, near the north-western Niger Delta. They are the major ethnic group in Delta State, Nigeria. The word ‘Urhobo’ refers to a group of people rather than a territory. The total population of the people is approximately two million people. The Urhobo people are bounded by the Isoko to the southeast, the Itsekiri and Ijaw to the west, the Edo people to the north, the Ijaw to the south and the Ukwuani people to the northeast. The traditional homes of the Urhobo are located in Delta and Bayelsa States. These include Ethiope west,…

Nigeria is one place you would have mixed-feelings living in; its street life is one you can’t forget if you ever find yourself in this part of the globe. Just like any other place in the world, be it Moscow, Budapest, Hong Kong, Cali, Buenos Aires or what have you, they all have streets. ‘Street’ according to the dictionary is a public road in a city, town, or village, with houses and buildings on one or both sides. In Nigeria, street is more than this definition, it is a ’Home’. From Beere in Ibadan to Ajegunle in Lagos, Rumuodara in…

The Ibibio people are known to have several delicious cuisines in which Abak Atama is one special dish. It is native to Akwa Ibom in Southern Nigeria. Its name is derived from the two main ingredients: Palm fruit concentrate (Abak) and Atama leaves. The palm fruit concentrates makes it similar to the Banga soup (oil palm fruit soup) of the Niger Deltans and the Ofe Akwu of the Igbo people. The only difference is in the spices and vegetables used for each of these soups. The soup is highly nutritional and rich in taste as a result of its long…

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of Mt. Everest is a book written by Jon Krakauer. It is a non-fiction book published in 1997. It is a true-life experience of the author on his quest to climb the world’s highest Mountain, Mt. Everest. In his accounts, eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a rogue storm. The book has 416 pages and it is written in three languages: English, Chinese and Japanese. Film rights for Into Thin Air were purchased by Sony almost immediately after the book’s publication. The book was adapted into the TV movie Into…

The Igue Festival is a cultural festival celebrated in the Benin Kingdom, Edo state, Nigeria. It is one of the biggest and most flamboyant festivals in the country. This festival marks the marriage between Oba Ewuare (a legendary king in the Benin Kingdom) to a woman called Ewere. The festival is celebrated in the first half of the month of December and it is been celebrated in seven days. According to Benin history, the Igue festival has been celebrated for more than 1000 years. It is a set of annual cycle of rituals and rites that are performed to purify…

Gombe, nicknamed ‘’The Jewel of Excellence’’ is an interesting state to visit in the Northern part of Nigeria. The northeastern state also has Gombe as its capital city. The state was created out of the old Bauchi state by the Sanni Abacha military government. Gombe is bordered by many states, which are Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Adamawa and Bauchi. The state has an area of 20,265 km sq. which encompasses the 11 Local Government Areas of the state. You’ll have a nice time visiting the Local Government Areas namely, Akko, Balanga, Billiri, Dukku, Funakaye, Gombe, Kaltungo, Kwami, Nafada, Shongom and Yamaltu/Deba.…

The Igbo men traditional attire is called Isiagu, also known as Chieftaincy. This is made with high-quality suede materials. Before the advent of this material and other fabrics, Igbo men preferred wearing a loincloth. This is a piece of garment that covers the private parts of the male body. The loincloth was often kept in place by a belt or fastened at the back. This is worn to the farms and markets back then. As civilization took place in this part of the world, there were different fabrics adorned by men. The introduction of the Isiagu attire has since added…

Ikokore or Ifokore is a savory yam porridge native to the Ijebu people of Southwest Nigeria. This food is been prepared at homes, ceremonies such as naming, coronation, traditional weddings, burial ceremonies, and other events. This sumptuous delicacy has some similarities with Ekpang Nkukwo of the Efik people of Cross River State; the ingredients and method of preparation are almost the same. The main ingredient is water yam. Water yam is a species of yam; it is very hairy, and when cut, the surface is very slimy. The water yam is grated and cooked in a very rich and delicious…

Donkwa (dodonkwa) or Tanfiri is a Nigerian savory snack that is native to Northern Nigeria. It is made with cornmeal (milled corn) and groundnuts (peanuts). It is one of the snacks that do not require cooking. It is soft and melts in the mouth, and it is often confused with kuli-kuli. Donkwa also looks like peanut burger and is one of the snacks children from the Northern parts of Nigeria, especially, can’t do without. It is popular on the Nigerian street, though eaten as snacks. It is actually perfect served as a starter or party canapés. The main ingredient for…

The Aro people belong to an Igbo sub-group mixed with Akpa and Ibibio ancestry that originated from the Arochukwu kingdom in Abia State, Nigeria. The total population of the people is about 1 million upward. They are found in about 250 settlements, mostly in Southeast Nigeria. The people are classified as Eastern or Cross River Igbos because of their location, mixed origins, cultures, and dialect. A key factor in establishing the Aro Confederacy as a regional power in the Niger Delta and Southeastern Nigeria during the 18th and 19th centuries is their god, called ‘’Ibini Ukpabi’’. THE ARO CONFEDERACY This…

Nigerians have written many comic books you will love to read; you’ll even want some to make it to the TV screen. A comic book is a publication that consists of comic art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Just as Marvel Studios has been producing comical books, I suggest Nollywood would take a cue from their American counterpart. ‘Supa Strikaz’ is one comic book cherished by kids and football lovers today. Nigerian comic writers have been brilliant in their panels; descriptive prose and written narrative have been fantastic. If you are a lover of…

Oil palm or Banga soup is a special delicacy of the southerners of Nigeria. It is a delicacy of the people of South-south and South-east Nigeria.