Becoming Nigerian: A Guide
Be(com)ing Nigerian: A Guide is a satirical commentary on the different Nigerians you are likely to meet at home and abroad, on your way to heaven or to hell.
Be(com)ing Nigerian is an outrageously funny and acerbic guide to how to be a Nigerian; from how to attain the much-maligned, but heady rank of politician to achieving the status of the silver-tongued, private jet-flying religious leader.
It is a searing and darkly entertaining look at how power operates in private and in public; in politics, business, religious institutions and in homes. From the exploration of religious hypocrisy to the cautionary travel advice for Nigerians going to the United States, the collection is a jab at Nigerian society and its relation tot he world. Beyond poking fun at the holders of power, it is a summons, a provocation and a call for introspection among all levels of society. As is often said in Nigeria, when you point with one finger, there are four others pointing back at you.
Be(com)ing Nigerian: A Guide, moves between the sublime and the ridiculous, and deftly captures both the hilarity and the horror of Nigeria.
Elnathan John is a Nigerian writer and one of Nigeria’s most well-known contemporary satirists. He has twice been shortlisted for the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing (2013 & 2015). His writing has been published in Per Contra, Evergreen Review and Chimurenga's The Chronic. His debut novel, Born on a Tuesday, won a Betty Trask Award in 2017. He is a judge for the 2019 Man Booker International Prize.
