—this poem breathes: precision with[out] end. searching for reason . man & the finesse of dredging. the River: trawl & trawlboat. portrait of catch & quest. find the depth —naked rostrum of plunging. catch — artefacts of longing & becoming. tell the River, grace of shores. every bound: the lingo burning to know, bosom shape of history lingering. paddle & carve fingers in the waters: time & memories. Isn’t it sprint of souls winding in the canvas of time? or the largesse of a poem evolving? man —pustule of perfection angling in the et cetera of being. say, a creel of self spawning in the glimpse of dawn.
I, Decimated Self
elegy: she appears, breaks the dead & rocking in sawdust. fold the sanity — breaks them. piece & pieces apart. —goads of flesh prodding in grief. deserted. —everything at hedge of beholding. & you: driveling in the demijohn of self. anesthesia, soul off the hook & ballast. once wore God in blotched melanin. & your heart grappled the pain & it pageant away. matted & tuft of a kinky spirit — you & the guts of no glory.
microcosm as a body of death
[for souls throng to the weight of life. & for a poem gazing
the body in fighting arsenals]
splinters of inner voices:
—he hangs a gaffled breath. holds the grapnels of grief in no salvation. say his flesh ripples of vile blood. & light of his becoming alters in darkness. never yielding his slouching body a miracle. why is he an anatomy of a suicidal blood? & his soul a pendu- lum swung from sanity? the grisly scenes in his head & the daily ruffled notes soaked of solitude craves an escape, the tethering symphony of goodbye. if man is an owl, he’ll hoot into night loom. he’ll own his soul in crucifixion. & won’t he anguish in drool gasp of venom & gall? again, when life happens: flood as of Noah’s, absorbs his bawls of fragility. & he sketches as an apparition of things in nameless bodies. in celestial pedigrees. those tiny echoes raising a fiery blast, make ashes of his protruding force to be & to become. his head curricles the dream of sepulchres. suicidal ideation akin to him as flesh skinned to bone. nay, he’s a man. yes, he isn’t a deep water. bet his body bares no oasis but the residue of a living desert. pray him a good spirit ‘cause it’s no easy feat to look the river without drowning. without transiting to no return.
nostalgia
of a poem delicate & svelte. of things shaped in the knobs of memory. how we become & became a roadmap of a never ending you & I. perhaps it’s often said [in a soulful lingo] love is sweet with the right person. the right sacred bosom & hearty alley. the sun & moon dazzled. they always gaped at the artistry of our naked desires. say it’s a heaven’s gaze upon two ravishing mortals. I remember. yet if I do, they say it is a love poem. say it’s the art of escaping the universe. & morphing into your same shadows. bet love is spiritual. deciphered by the mouth of two eyes. two flames flickering at the sight of a single spark. you & I against the storm. against roving waters with familial siege. crystal //& pellucid is the heartbeat of a two-to-tango. maybe a poet is a love poem hidden in many couplets. one day a lover will return more than roses but an empty heart to threshold the finery of reminisces.
Chinemerem Prince Nwankwo, SWAN IV, is currently a final year student of the Department of History and International Studies, University of Uyo, Nigeria. He is the Poetry Editor, The Cloudscent Journal and an Assistant Poetry Editor, Arkore Arts. He tweets @ CP Nwankwo.
In Nollywood, there is often a disregard for the treasures that lie in literature even though they can be used to form very great films. Nigerian literature is full of stories which explore life intricacies such as identity, culture and history that reverberate globally.
Despite Nollywood’s depth in storytelling, little has been done regarding book adaptations. This has resulted in untapped fountains of narratives for the industry.
While Nollywood’s essence mainly emanates from original screenwriting, this could be expanded through book-to-screen adaptations, leading to new angles, nuanced characters, and plots firmly anchored on the rich tradition of Nigerian authors’ storytelling. Although Nollywood has already ventured into few book adaptations, they only offer a glimpse of the potential that lies ahead.
Books Already Adapted in Nollywood
Some novels have come to life in Nollywood through their powerful screen adaptations. One strong example is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Half of a Yellow Sun”, a historical drama that details the Nigerian Civil War.
Another incredible filmic adaptation is Ishaya Bako’s “I Do Not Come to You by Chance” by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, set to be released at TIFF 2024. It is a comedy feature based in Nigeria, which gives a view into the dark depths of email scams and how they take their toll on human lives.
Another, although in-view, would be the brand-new adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s novel “Children of Blood and Bone,” based on Nigerian mythology and African fantasy. It is in the works with Lucasfilm. The international project will be a great stride for Nollywood, likely to bring African folklore into worldview.
Another example of Nigerian literature coming onto the screen would be “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe. The adaptation of 1987 with Pete Edochie became a natural, cultural landmark for literature and the silver screen.
In 2005, Kola Akinlade’s “Owo Eje” was adapted into a Yoruba mystery film in which the renowned detective Akin Olusina comes upon a murder incident that he would like to unravel.
In much the same way, Tunde Kelani’s “Saworoide”, based on the work of Akinwunmi Ishola, who was a popular dramatist and writer of noble acclaim in his lifetime, used political satire to explore power and despotism in the-then Nigerian political administration.
The 2007 film adaptation of war veteran and writer, Elechi Amadi’s “The Concubine” was brought to visual life by Andy Amanechi in the tragic love story of Ihuoma, bound to a sea god.
Also, Nigerian-American Sefi Atta’s “Swallow”, as directed by Kunle Afolayan, deals with the moral dilemmas of 1980s Lagos. Based on drug smuggling, its Netflix commissioning for release in 2021 added to Nollywood’s growing list of successful book-to-screen conversions.
Next in line for a unique mention of an adaptation into an animated 90-minute feature is Sade Adeniran’s “Imagine This,” which relates to a young British-Nigerian girl torn between two cultures.
Wole Soyinka’s “Kongi’s Harvest”, already filmed in 1970 by Ossie Davis, comes as his political offering because it highlights the lead character as a dictator with a quest for control. Yet another Soyinka play that has made its way to the big screen is ‘’Death and the King’s Horseman’’, which saw the teaming up of EbonyLife Studios with Netflix for an adaptation. Titled Elesin Oba: The King’s Horseman, this cinematic version of the Nobel laureate’s work brings one of the most famous Nigerian plays to a global audience.
More recent adaptations, like The Smart Money Woman, a TV Series originated by writer Arese Ugwu in 2016 and The Wait in 2021, which was based on Yewande Zaccheus’s personal story titled “God’s Waiting Room”, prove how deft Nollywood has been in translating prose language into screen conceptions.
Nollywood should do more because African literature has a rich narrative that can add depth to storylines in a cinematic medium. Furthermore, it has the potential to provide new content to audiences worldwide, in addition to Nigeria.
Challenges with Book-to-Screen Adaptation
While there are plenty of exciting opportunities for Nollywood, some hurdles hold it back from making complete success with book-to-screen adaptations. First, there’s the challenge of getting intellectual rights for a screenplay adaptation of a novel.
Quite a good number of writers, especially internationally renowned ones, are a hard nut to crack when it comes to ceding rights to their works.
The cost of negotiation and, eventually, seeking permission is usually so enormous. This, in turn, slows the production time of filmmakers or quite quickly halts a project before it is even started.
The only other hurdle from there is sourcing the right talent to do justice to these works once the rights are secured. Novels, more often than not, present very complex characters and intricately layered plots that will require experienced actors, directors, and screenwriters who can not only faithfully but ingeniously translate the same to the screen.
This becomes a challenging task to execute, more so when the talent pool is limited and the source material calls for a depth not considered “standard” in mainstream Nollywood.
Maneuvering to balance commercial viability with artistic integrity also muddles the adaptation process—while some novels can take deep dives into the most severe philosophical or historical questions, Nollywood is for a broadly popular audience, meaning that fast-paced, dramatic storytelling often rules.
Besides, movie production teams have to tread that fine line between reproducing the novel’s essence with its adaptations to suit mainstream tastes.
Sometimes, the narrative, in its simplification process for purposes of commercial gist, can be altered to dilute the fundamental core themes and values embedded in these books that make them powerful.
More than that, a lot of stories, most especially those with very elaborate backdrops and settings or historical contexts, will be costly to translate into film.
The films Half of a Yellow Sun and Elesin Oba were shot on an infusion of international co-productions and enjoyed a more lavish and elaborate production scale. Yet, most Nollywood projects chug forth with shoe-string budgets, and, as a result, the vast scope of the original story may never be fully realised.
And finally, even when these challenges are surmounted, there is the matter of audience reception. The primary audience for Nollywood are people who are usually used to modern, light stories.
Literary adaptations usually include complex issues of society or historical periods, which might appear to be too slow or too abstract to some members of the audience. The challenge of maintaining faithfulness to the books while still making the audience riveted in their seat does call for a delicate balancing act between artistic fidelity and innovation.
Books That Should Be Adapted into Nollywood Films
Akpata Magazine has handpicked a selection of books ripe for Nollywood adaptation.
Each of the novels on this list creates distinct stories with multitudes of dimensions that can take the storytelling of the Nollywood genre to a new high.
It is a coming-of-age novel–so to speak–that strives to capture the very essence of university life in Nigerian institutions in the 1990s, when political turmoil was on a rise.
Given this, one would think it may stand out as an ideal candidate for a Nollywood adaptation of its themes about the Nigerian youth, identity, and resilience since it brought forth student life.
Set in Middle Belt Nigeria, it follows how the lives of a Nigerian family intertwine at the very edge of existence. This becomes quite an exciting adaptation possibility due to its tight characterisation and very undiscovered settings in Nigeria, which are a part of Nollywood’s growing geographical and thematic depth.
A powerful LGBTQ+ love story set against the backdrop of the Nigerian Civil War. Touching on themes of forbidden love, identity, and societal pressures, this novel would bring much-needed nuance in portrayals of love and conflict to Nollywood and break ground in filmic representation.
This novel is about a group of runaways who find their way to Lagos through different voices and perspectives to locate the challenges in the city. An adaptation of the novel would capture the pulsating life of Lagos, the hopes and disillusionments of its people, and the blatant contrasts between classes.
This is a Kafkaesque story of a young Nigerian who woke up one morning and found his skin colour changed from black to white. The novel is an amusing exploration of race, identity, and privilege in contemporary Nigerian society.
Any film adaptation of such a work will mix elements of surrealism and social critique in a different visual and narrative style for Nollywood.
Honey and Spice is a vivid rom-com set on a British university campus, providing a new young voice in the Romantic Comedy genre for Nollywood. It features a great number of diverse characters and witty lines that would be at home with young audiences, bringing modern romance alive on screen. Open Country Mag.***
This is a sibling rivalry story, suffused with the power of prophecy in a small Nigerian town; in The Fishermen, the merger of myth and reality builds toward tragedy. The character arc is strong and the emotional depth is excellent for a psychological drama probing Nigerian beliefs and culture.
This sprawling historical romance follows love and politics from Nigeria to Europe over decades, from the 1960s into modern times. As a Nollywood film, it would be visually lush and emotionally resonant in detailing interracial relationships and cultural change with the shifting political terrain of Nigeria.
Last Days at Forcados High School
This is a coming-of-age story set in a fictional high school in Nigeria. The novel follows the lives of several students as they navigate the challenges of their final year in secondary school. It should be adapted by Nollywood because it presents relatable struggles and triumphs that resonate deeply with Nigeria youths.
Unlike the often generic, westernized high school movies that dominate the Nollywood scene, this story offers a rich, culturally grounded narrative that reflects the realities of growing up in Nigeria. It highlights the family dynamics, societal pressures, and the importance of community.
Opportunities Associated with Adapting Literary Works
Although significant, the challenges associated with adapting literary works are still far outweighed by the opportunities they present for Nollywood.
First and foremost, further exposure to book-to-screen adaptations can broaden the creative horizons of Nollywood. There has already been sufficient proof of how much the industry is capable of storytelling, considering its skills in original screenwriting.
Still, adaptation means opening doors to an even richer kind of narratives that have their roots in the literary tradition of Nigeria. These stories are worth a lot of material that can shove Nollywood into new and unexplored territories.
The adaptation of more novels will also help Nollywood tap into an already existing fan base of people who are already familiar with these books.
This interrelation between literature and cinema could foster audience interest, especially in such a period when Nigerian literature is getting international attention.
Nollywood movies based on Nigerian novels, like Half of a Yellow Sun and Swallow, have shown that adaptation is key to bridging gaps between local stories and global audiences, thereby increasing Nollywood’s reach internationally.
A growing interest in African stories is what the world has adopted, and further adapting literature into film would give Nollywood much stronger positioning in the world film market against international projects and investors.
Now, this is one exciting avenue: genre diversification. Many of these–from African Fantasy to Science Fiction, Romance, and political dramas–are some of the untouched novels waiting to be adapted.
Adaptations like these bring new themes, images, and ways of storytelling that keep Nollywood living, vibrant, and ever-evolving.
Now, it is time to connect the dots between Nollywood and the potential for book-to-screen adaptations, as well as closer ties between literature and cinema.
Filmmakers, producers, and other stakeholders in this creative industry should become aware that Nigerian literature is an untapped goldmine, an unrealized potential for their industry.
They will not only enrich the cultural repertoire of Nollywood but also provide new exposure for the works of Nigerian and African writers, at large, by bringing more significant numbers of them to the big screen and raising the film industry to new heights.
For audiences, it is about supporting these adaptations and going out to see them. Book-to-film projects not only preserve our literary heritage but also introduce stories to new generations. As Nollywood continues to grow, the voices of our most celebrated writers have to be a part of that journey.
Let these stories be taken from the page to the screen, broadening the reach of both collectives of Nigerian novelists and Nollywood and, in turn, reasserting the stand it initially held as a global powerhouse of storytelling.
If our filmmakers, producers, novelists and audience all come together, then Nigerian literature can be the defining force for the further evolution of Nollywood.
Ikenna, 15, and Osato, 16, were expelled from their respective schools for their queer sexual orientation after they were caught engaging in intimate acts with the same sex. Usingtheir experience, this article investigates the profound suffering of Nigerian queer teenagers.
We agreed to use the pseudonyms Ikenna and Osato to protect the teenagers’ identities.
In a secluded corner of a Catholic boarding school in Benin city, fifteen-year-old Ikenna sat alone, his back pressed against the cold wall of the dormitory. The air was thick with the whispers of his classmates, who had discovered his secret—a secret that, in their eyes, was a sin, an abomination.
Ikenna had been caught in an intimate moment with another boy, and the repercussions were swift and brutal: expulsion, public shaming, and a call to his parents.
When his parents arrived, his mother screamed, “What have you done to our family?” while his father silently fumed, fists clenched at his sides.
When Ikenna recounted his story, his voice trembled, and his eyes looked distant. “They called me fag,” he said, his hands gripping the edge of his seat. “My parents couldn’t even look at me. My mother said, ‘I regret the day I gave birth to you.’”
Ikenna’s story is far from unique. Across Nigeria, queer teens like him endure profound suffering, hidden in the shadows of a society that rejects their very existence. The discrimination they face is not just social but institutional, as schools, communities, and even families turn against them.
The Roots of Discrimination
In Nigeria, alternate sexual orientations are criminalized, and societal norms are deeply rooted in conservative religious beliefs.
These attitudes trickle down, creating an environment where queer teens live in constant fear of being discovered and ostracized.
But the attitude is even worse towards teenagers; parents often assume that their children are too young to be certain about their sexual orientation, and in some cases, may threaten them with homelessness for not conforming to societal (traditional) expectations.
I remember speaking with Mrs. Adebola, a mother of three, who told me with a stern face, “If my son ever told me he was gay, I would throw him out of the house. He’s too young to do that rubbish.”
Her words echo the sentiments of many Nigerian parents and illustrate the harsh reality of the average queer teen living in Nigeria.
Conversion therapy is another brutal reality for these teens. Sixteen-year-old Osato, speaking with tears in her eyes, recounted, “My parents took me to a counselor to fix me.”
What they described as ‘fixing’ was actually conversion therapy—an attempt to change her sexual orientation through psychological or physical means. Aisha’s voice shook as she recalled the sessions. ‘I went in feeling bad and left feeling worse. The counselor told me I was confused, misdirected. He said… he said a homosexual is worse than an animal.’
Conversion therapy is not only ineffective but profoundly damaging. According to a 2019 report by UCLA’s Williams Institute, queer youth who experienced conversion therapy were almost twice as likely to contemplate and attempt suicide compared to their peers who did not undergo such methods.
These so-called therapies leave deep mental and emotional scars and reinforce the deceitful message that their very identity is wrong.
Loneliness is another companion for these teens. The fear of being outed, combined with a lack of understanding from peers and family, forces them to isolate as a coping mechanism.
“Since they found out, my friends no longer talk to me,” Ikenna said. “One of them told me, ‘You’re disgusting. Stay away from us. Some even blocked my number”
Once queer teens in Nigeria are caught in the act, their friendships are fraught with mistrust, as even the most innocent relationship can be misread. The result is a pervasive sense of loneliness that eats away at their self-esteem and mental health.
This loneliness leads to severe mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. It took a toll on Ikenna’s health. “‘Some nights, I couldn’t sleep,’ he admitted. ‘I felt like I was drowning in my own thoughts, but there was no one I could talk to.”
Queer teens who live in Nigeria often suffer in silence, unable to seek help for fear of exposure.
The stigma surrounding their identity makes it difficult to find supportive mental health resources, leaving them to navigate their struggles alone.
Expulsion
The harrowing experiences of these teens extend from their families into their classrooms. In Nigerian schools, which are expected to be safe environments for young people, students like Ikenna who are found to be gay or exhibit traits not traditionally seen as masculine, face expulsion.
This punishment sends a clear message: you are not welcome here.
It informs the teens that their identity is so abhorrent that it warrants exclusion from the very institution meant to nurture their development.
Too Young To Understand Sexuality?
Teens in Nigeria are often told they are too young to understand their sexual orientation; too young to be queer. I asked Ikenna’s mother about her thoughts on his sexuality, and she said, ‘I don’t think he knows what he’s doing; he’s confused; he’s still young. Hopefully, he will come to his senses when he grows up.’
This belief is scientifically flawed. According to Medscape, the education of identities, gender and sexual alike, is not something that can be postponed until adulthood; it is a fundamental aspect of who we are from birth.
It is equally problematic to assume teenagers cannot form meaningful connections. It is a reductive view that intently dismisses the profound nature of their experiences.
Adolescence is the age of identity formation. During these formative years, teens explore various aspects of their identities, including their sexual orientation and capacity for intimacy.
Ikenna and Osato’s story—as well as the stories of countless others that we know and hear of—must not be forgotten. Their suffering is real and unjust.
As a civilised human society, we must not only strive to be a powerful voice that collectively decries the diverse suffering of queer teens in Nigeria, but advocate for their right to be their harmless, natural selves openly–without fear or stigmatisation.
These young individuals deserve to live free from fear, shame, and violence.
Lastly, we must create environments where teens can openly discuss their feelings, ask questions, and receive guidance without fear of judgement or punishment.
It’s 8:30 a.m., and the sun is shining brightly. I remember I have a class at 9 a.m. As I rush to fetch water for my bath, I discover the tank is empty because there was no electricity overnight. I protest silently as I return to my room. I ask one of my roommates why we didn’t have water.
“Did you see light?” he asks sarcastically.
I recall that the electricity distribution company failed to supply power for the second night in a row. I sit on my bed in dismay, wondering how I will manage to take a bath. Soon, I’m on my feet, heading to my friend’s house in BDPA, a 30-minute walk from my place. There, I take my bath and rush to school.
This was one of my many negative experiences living on UNIBEN’s campus last year.
I graduated several months ago, but to this day, the story remains the same for a lot of students. However, now the students are tired of adapting to the terrible living conditions and are making their voices heard, demanding that the school administration bring about the necessary changes.
Their peaceful demonstration on the Benin-Lagos expressway, where they even played football, caused significant gridlock, which drew criticism from members of the university staff.
This is not an isolated event. Sadly.
Last year, UNIBEN students staged a protest against a steep hike in school fees. Every year, the administration seems to creatively devise new forms of living hardships and impose the same on the students, thereby raising the question: Why are UNIBEN students treated like second-class citizens in their citadel of learning and on their campus?
Poor Campus Living Conditions
The conditions in most of UNIBEN’s hostels are nothing short of appalling. One student I spoke to likened it to a prison, describing faded, dilapidated buildings and cramped rooms with each housing up to eight students on average. The hygiene is deplorable, with one hosteller recounting contracting infections from the toilets multiple times.
Worsening the students’ plight, they are forced to use kerosene stoves for cooking as gas and electric stoves were banned by the school authority. In today’s fast-evolving 21st century, one would expect the administration of a reputable Federal-owned institution such as the University of Benin to know better than to expect such laughable, backward innovations of its students e.g. cooking with kerosene stoves.
Like its progress, the administration’s excuse has been stagnant: the hostel transformer’s inability to handle the load of electric stoves. A flimsy justification.
The poor maintenance of the hostels culminated in a fire outbreak in Hall 2, destroying rooms, important documents, and personal possessions. Although the fire service was alerted early, they arrived without water, leaving students to douse the flames with buckets of water fetched from distant places.
The administration blamed the incident on the use of banned electric plates, ignoring their own neglect. To date, most affected students remain uncompensated and without new accommodations, despite paying maintenance fees.
Power Outage
Less than a year after the fire, the Benin Electricity Supply of Edo State cut off power to UNIBEN due to an unpaid debt of Three Hundred Million Naira only (#300, 000, 000.00), plunging the university into darkness. Students living on campus were forced to seek basic amenities like bathing and charging their phones and other electronic devices off-campus.
Their academic activities suffered, with the case of a computer science student unable to complete tests due to the power outage being heard of. Despite promises to resolve the issue, six weeks passed without action. The vice chancellor recently admitted the university’s inability to settle the debt, even suggesting a possible session suspension if students couldn’t endure the conditions.
Furthering the administration’s bid to stifle convenience out of the living conditions of its students, transportation costs within the university have also soared, with cab fares increased by over 900%! Such alarming administrative creativity.
Today, UNIBEN students are engaged in protest because their endurance has reached its limit. This situation is a damning indictment of the government and the university management. Their collective failure has resulted in intolerable living conditions that in turn hinder the students’ ability to meet their primary need: focus on their studies and fulfil academic diligence.
How can students excel without basic amenities like electricity? How can they read, study, or prepare for exams in the dark? How can they conduct research and/or engage with modern technology essential for their academic growth?
Improving living conditions is not just a matter of comfort but a fundamental requirement for fostering a conducive learning environment.
Last Words
People often claim that UNIBEN students love to protest. Having spent four years at the University of Benin, I can unequivocally say this is not true. These students have too many bills to pay, books to read, assignments to complete, tests and exams to prepare for, and businesses to run to spend their days protesting on the roads. It took six weeks of power outages before they finally took to the streets.
Rather than focusing on superficial actions like shutting down the school, the school management should look for practical, immediate solutions to the problems.
Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach, starting with increased government support to ensure that basic amenities like electricity and adequate living conditions are consistently provided.
The government must increase funding for educational institutions. Additionally, the university should actively engage its alumni network in fundraising efforts, leveraging their success and goodwill to invest in infrastructure improvements and student welfare programs.
