okey ndibe

Arrows of Rain by Okey Ndibe; Bookcraft, Ibadan, Nigeria; 20th Anniversary Edition 2021; 230pp Okey Ndibe’s acclaimed debut novel Arrows of Rain was published in Year 2000 as one of …

There’s a chance that President Muhammadu Buhari would have come back to Nigeria by the time you read this column, but the fact that he had twice postponed his return …

I have argued before that the Nigerian state appears organized around the principle of inflicting maximum emotional aggravation, and, often, severe physical pain, on citizens and other occupants of the …

One of the rituals of my childhood was writing down New Year resolutions. Under instruction from our parents, my siblings and I distilled our hopes and dreams into written acts. …

A few days ago, a friend sent me a video of a choir made up of members of Nigeria’s security agencies singing “Feliz Navidad,” a popular Christmas song. The rendition …

President Muhammadu Buhari should admit, today, not tomorrow, that his so-called war against corruption is unserious, tiresome, illegitimate, hypocritical, and a waste of Nigerians’ time. Right away, he ought to …

I have said this before: one of the hardest tasks is to predict how Nigerians would react in any given situation. We are a perplexing bunch, able to defy the …

Except in extremely isolated cases—for example, as an act of self-defense—it is morally indefensible for individuals to engage in extra-judicial killing. When a government makes it its business to slaughter …

There’s something about this year’s presidential election in the US that is oddly reminiscent of Nigeria’s 2015 presidential polls. Many Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, can’t quite fathom how the …

Last Friday, my wife and I traveled from New York City to Canton, upstate New York State, the location of St. Lawrence University. We were fortunate to be invited to …

On May 29, 2015, Nigerians handed the ball of change to President Muhammadu Buhari (aka Captain Buhar), a self-acclaimed wizard of change. From the sidelines, they commenced the business of …

I have written before about the profound pain that attaches to the vocation of commenting regularly on Nigeria. I wake up each day hoping, nay praying, that those who occupy …

South Africa is in the midst—some would say the very incipient stage—of a major political and cultural revolt. One of the most remarkable things about this movement is that young …

I’m deeply troubled by what appears to me to be Nigeria’s growing industry of making and exhibiting corpses. The Nigerian state—represented by its police and military—continues to refine its capacity …

A peculiarly Nigerian type of frenzy happened last week. The event was triggered by a report that a young woman named Amina Ali Nkeki, one of the more than 200 …