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About Are You Not A Nigerian?

The policeman took his time examining my car papers. He seemed to be in no hurry. As he flipped through the pages, he walked back on his heels to check the plate number to see if it was the same as the one written on the licence.

Having satisfied himself that I had the correct number plate, he barked an order at me to open the car bonnet. Like the obedient child being told to vacate the only seat in the room for an adult, I meekly did as I was told. All the while, his AK-47 dangled carelessly with the barrel occasionally pointing at my chest. He went over to the engine and looked at nothing in particular.

“Insurance,” he barked again. I quickly handed it over.

“Oga officer, well done o. Please, can I have my papers?”

He ignored me and moved away to flag down another car. The driver slowed down but zoomed off again. To my horror, the officer pointed his gun at the departing motorist and lowered it.

“Oga, I know say your papers are complete but are you not a Nigerian?”

Are you not a Nigerian? chronicles a country’s fourth attempt at democratic governance after many years of military dictatorship. Through his personal experiences and observations, Báyọ̀ Olúpohùndà captures the reality of Nigeria’s socio-political environment at the turn of the millennium, the collapse of dignity in service, and the ubiquitous “Nigerian factor” that creates entitlement. Are You Not A Nigerian? examines the lost opportunities, the disappointment of successive administrations, and the dilemma of a nation at a crossroads.

Additional information

Báyọ̀ Olúpohùndà has worked as a teacher, freelance journalist and columnist for frontline Nigerian newspapers. He began his writing career at The Guardian ON Sunday, and later moved on to contribute to 234NEXT and Punch newspapers. In 2014, he emerged a finalist in the CNN African Journalist award. He was also nominated for a Diamond Awards for Media Excellence for his work. He currently works as the editor-in-chief of NAIJ.com