11 Modern Nigerian Novels You’ll Be Obsessed With
I bet you can probably name two Nigerian writers — Achebe and Adichie — but have you ever read any others?
In my journey to read my way around the world, I have recently loved exploring the great wealth of Nigerian literature. The West African nation has been enjoying an enormous literary renaissance in the 21st century, sparked in part by the popularity of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The result is some incredible novels and short story collections that we all get to enjoy.
In this list, I’ll share eleven 21st century novels and short story collections by Nigerian writers. As always, my reviews are honest and transparent, and I’ll always give my thoughts on what kind of reader is most likely to enjoy each one.
The novels featured on this list give us a peek into the lives and minds of modern Nigerians, in their many diverse tribal traditions and life circumstances. There’s stories from the cities as well as stories from the villages. Stories that will make you laugh, stories to challenge your beliefs, and stories that will bring you to tears.
Note: I’ll never claim any of my read around the world lists to be a definitive or comprehensive resource, but I strive to read a diversity of perspectives within each country and share my top recommendations. Still, I’m only one person, so I always recommend consulting other sources as well. As this list focuses on Nigeria’s “Post-Independence” literary era, I recommend consulting other sources to read from other eras of Nigerian literature.
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You can shop the whole list on Bookshop here:
Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo (2017)
The aptly named Stay with Me by Nigerian writer Ayobami Adebayo has done just that — stayed with me. That’s saying something, too, as I read so many books each year, even ones I enjoy are often forgotten before too long.
This novel is about a modern Nigerian couple, Akin and Yejide. University sweethearts, they decide to reject their family’s expectation of polygamy and have a modern kind of marriage. However, as childlessness drives a wedge between them and causes anxiety in their families, Yejide becomes increasingly desperate to conceive.
Yejide’s desperate fertility journey leads her to do things she never expected. I’ve seen others describe this novel as a “fever dream,” and it is, in a way. As the reader, we experience Yejide’s gradual loss of reason or connection to reality right along with her.
Adebayo is a masterful storyteller, and this book held me captive from the very first chapter. It’s such a powerful dive into the sometimes competing influences of tradition and “modernity” in Nigeria. It’s particularly impressive that this is Adebayo’s first novel.
Novel set in: Lagos, Ilesa, and Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Read this if: you value superior storytelling and an unsettling/experiential narrative; or, you want a peek at life amidst the political upheaval of 1990s Nigeria,
Related: Do you enjoy reading books set in different countries? Check out my recommendations for novels set in Scotland and the best books set in Italy.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (2018)
At only 226 pages, My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite sure packs a punch.
As you can guess from the title, this novel tells the story of a pair of Nigerian sisters — one who is beautiful and deadly, and one who is plain, a caretaker, and seething with resentment. I think it’s best not to give too much away in this novel, given that the title already tells you a lot about the plot. Just suspend judgment, dive in, and see what you think.
The meat of this novel is as much in what is not said as in what is. It’s a great book club pick, as it can spark discussions about what circumstances justify extreme actions, and just how far you’d go to protect a family member.
My Sister the Serial Killer has won numerous awards, including the LA Times Award for Best Crime Thriller and the Anthony Award for Best First Novel. It was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and longlisted for the Booker Prize.
Set in: Lagos, Nigeria
Read this if: you want a short novel, don’t mind an unsettling and morally gray story, and you LOVE teeny tiny chapters. This would also be a great book club choice with lots to discuss. This is a great book to read if you’re looking to incorporate more female Nigerian writers into your reading list.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin (2010)
This Nigerian novel might be my favorite read so far this year, and that’s hard to choose given the incredible abundance of great fiction I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
It is a challenging read, too. Different aspects of modern and traditional Nigeria come to a head in this novel about the four wives of one flawed man. The narrative focuses primarily on the perspective of Baba Segi’s newest wife, Bolanle. Bonlale is a young, educated woman who breaks her family’s heart by choosing to be an uneducated man’s fourth wife rather than pursue an independent career as they wanted.
The other wives are threatened by her youth and education and work together to sabotage her. They are seemingly the villains of the story — until we get to chapters that peek into their lives and struggles, and we see that choosing villains and victims is not as simple as it may appear.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives includes heartbreakingly vivid depictions of sexual violence, family deaths, and more difficult subject matter. It kept me both interested and uncomfortable, in a way that kept me thinking about it long after I finished.
Set in: Ibadan, Nigeria
Read this if: you love a well-written novel, multiple perspectives, and are in the headspace to read something that includes graphic depictions of highly distressing events.
Related: If you’re NOT in the mood to read about distressing life events, check out my recommended cozy fiction reads.
Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh (2024)
Since 2013, it has been a criminal offense to be gay in Nigeria. The Criminal Code Act and Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Acts of 2013-14 made it a crime to engage in same-sex sexual activity, though a culture of intolerance toward homosexuality has long predated its codification.
In Blessings, Nigerian writer Chukwuebuka Ibeh writes about a young, gay man coming to age in his home city of Port Harcourt during the early 2000s. After his father discovers him in a compromising position, 16-year-old Obiefuna is sent away to a strict Christian boarding school.
While it’s never explicitly said, Obiefuna implicitly understands that this is his punishment — banishment from his own family. In this quiet novel, we follow Obiefuna’s development into manhood as he navigates his desire for human connection and his growing sexuality in a culture that has no tolerance for him.
Some of the most moving chapters are written from his mother’s perspective. She deeply loves her son but is limited by the patriarchal structure of life and marriage in her Igbo family. Her love is powerful, and yet she feels powerless to take action in support of Obiefuna.
I was excited to receive this book as part of my Mr. B’s reading subscription, which I think is one of the best and most unique gifts for a reader.
Set in: Port Harcourt and Owerri, Nigeria
Read this if: you enjoy slower paced novels focusing on the main character’s inner conflict and development; or are looking for an LGBTQ+ perspective from modern Nigeria.
Here’s a line from the novel that brought tears to my eyes:
“She had thought of him only as a thing of joy, choosing primarily to see him as goodness and nothing more. Her belief in him was simple, her love unquestioning. And this, he could see, after all these years, was his truest blessing.”
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (2018)
Children of Blood and Bone is the first in a fantasy series by Nigerian-American author Tomi Adeyemi. She calls it her love letter to her Yoruba culture, which she connected deeply with while studying in Brazil.
This is a YA fantasy novel inspired by Yoruba mythology. Years ago, fearful of its powers of destruction, the King of Orïsha removed magic from the land and systematically killed the magi who wielded it. As a child, Zélie saw her mother killed by the King’s soldiers. Now, as a teenager, she finds herself the only person capable of bringing magic back to Orïsha.
Children of Blood and Bone is an adventurous, enjoyable read, rife with both romance and danger. I particularly enjoyed listening to the audiobook version, narrated spectacularly by Bahni Turpin (I think she’s going to have to make it onto my list of the best audiobook narrators).
Some people have taken issue with the novel, pointing out that it oversimplifies aspects of Yoruba mythology and utilizes real Nigerian place names without maintaining an accurate geography. I think all of these insights are important discourse and, in my opinion, don’t mean the novel is not a worthwhile read.
Fun fact: There is an upcoming movie adaptation of the novel, starring big names like Idris Elba and Viola Davis. Of course there’s been plenty of controversy in some of the casting decisions, but I’m really looking forward to seeing this imaginative novel come to life on a big screen.
Set in: a fictional kingdom inspired by various real life locations in Nigeria
Read this if: you enjoy lengthy, world-building fantasy novels or just want to learn more about Yoruba mythology. If you enjoy Greek mythology retellings which are all the rage right now, give this African mythology novel a try.
Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad by Damilare Kuku (2021)
Nearly All the Men in Lagos are Mad by Nigerian writer Damilare Kuku is one of the most enjoyable reads on this list. It’s a collection of short stories told from different women’s perspectives on the men they become romantically involved in. It’s basically a great night of girl talk, in book form, with all the humor and all the depth that that entails.
I felt like I could have kept reading these stories forever. Now I’m really looking forward to discovering more by this writer, like her novel called Only Big Bum Bum Matters Tomorrow, published in 2024.
Set in : Lagos, Nigeria
Read this if: you want a “slice of life” perspective into what it’s like being a modern woman in Lagos, with all the aches and pains of loving and being loved by men.
Do you enjoy reading books set in different countries? I’ve designed a custom Read Around the World Journal specifically for readers who want to explore more world literature and track their progress. Make lists, color in bookshelves, and play Read Around the World Bingo in this unique reading tracker.
You can take a peek inside the journal, peruse my list of resources to help you on your reading journey, and order a copy if you think it’s the right fit for you!
A Broken People’s Playlist by Chimeka Garricks (2020)
A Broken People’s Playlist by Chimeka Garricks is another short story collection that takes place in Nigeria, but this collection has a unique twist — each short story is named after the song that inspired it.
In this collection, we pop into the minds of so many different characters. The effect is a stunning glimpse into the diversity of experiences in modern Nigeria, from different sexes, ages, ethnic groups, and life circumstances. The stories range from the lighthearted to the devastating, in a juxtaposition as brutal as life itself.
The musical element to this short story collection really adds something to the experience of reading it, so I recommend listening to the corresponding songs with each new chapter. Just when Garricks has broken your heart with one of his stories, the song it’s paired with acts as a healing balm. I absolutely loved the creativity of this concept and how well it is executed.
A Broken People’s Playlist is one of my favorite Nigerian books I’ve read, and I can’t wait to explore more of Garricks’s writing (he only has one other published book at time of writing, but I add my call to the insatiable throng, we want more!).
Tip: There is a Spotify playlist of the songs already in correct order. I listened to the audiobook of this book on Everand and listened to each song before and after the corresponding chapter.
Read this if: you are a music lover, and/or you’re looking for something that doesn’t shy away from heartbreak but still manages to be uplifting.
Related: Did you know that some Spotify subscriptions now include some audiobook access? Read my unfiltered thoughts (because they are really doing it wrong!)
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma (2015)
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma is undeniably a stunning novel, but it is absolutely brutal to read. Reminiscent of Greek tragedies (Othello, Antigone, etc.), the central family of this novel seems destined to suffer in every imaginable way.
To best sum it up, in The Fishermen, you’ll dive into the world of a family of brothers who live in a small village in rural Nigeria. Enter — a local madman and sometimes prophet, a struggling mother, an absent father, and a prophecy that will change everything.
All this is set within the context of Nigeria’s political upheaval of the 1990s and its impact on rural village communities. The family’s trauma comes through the page and enters the reader like a knife in the gut, so proceed with caution. But it is a deeply moving and unforgettable story.
Set in: Akure, Nigeria
Read this if: you’re in the mood for a tragic family saga, and/or you want a glimpse into rural village life in Nigeria.
This Motherless Land by Nikki May (2024)
This Motherless Land by Nikki May is a loose retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, but without all the cousin romance, and our central character is not such an unlikable killjoy as Fanny Price (don’t come for me, but I am not a Fanny fan).
Romance is secondary in This Motherless Land, which focuses primarily on themes of family, race, culture, and identity. We delve into the complex inner world of Funke, a girl raised in Nigeria to a Nigerian father and English mother.
When tragedy strikes, Funke’s father sends her to live with her English relatives, where she must navigate the sudden loss of her family, friends, homeland, and culture. The relationship between Funke and her cousin, Liv, is particularly tender and complex and makes a great structure within which May explores her themes.
Author Nikki May is Anglo-Nigerian— born in Bristol, UK and raised in Lagos Nigeria— giving her unique insight into the cultural differences between the two places, which she explores in this novel that spans both locales.
Set in: Lagos, Nigeria and England
Read this if: you are a Jane Austen fan, or interested in novels that explore race, culture, and identity, particularly in the Nigerian diaspora in the UK.
Related: Identity and culture are frequently themes in books by Hawaiian authors. Check out my complete recommendations after living there for two years.
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré (2020)
Her mother’s dying wish was for Adunni to get an education, but her father has other plans. At age 14, Adunni is sold to an abusive, 60-year-old man to become his third wife, so that her father can pay his rent. For years, Adunni tolerates abuse and tries to fulfill her role as wife by birthing sons, but more tragedy leads her to run away and start anew in Lagos.
No matter what circumstances seek to derail her dream, Adunni is determined one day to fulfill her mother’s wish for her to receive an education.
Like the title suggests, Adunni’s is a powerful voice, one that we see grow in confidence and determination as she comes into her own and takes charge of her life. It’s a nice coming-of-age novel that spans both rural and urban Nigeria with a strong heroine at the story’s heart.
Set in: a rural Nigerian village and Lagos
Read this if: you enjoy coming-of-age novels and want to explore life through the perspective of a modern Nigerian girl from a rural village.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013)
Of course, I can’t have a list of modern Nigerian writers you should be reading and neglect Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Adichie is one of the most widely recognized and celebrated Nigerian writers, and her work has helped create opportunities for more Nigerian writers to enter the literary scene (she even taught or mentored many of the writers on this very book list).
Adichie has written several noteworthy novels set in Nigeria, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them, but for the purposes of this list let’s highlight Americanah. In this novel, Ifemelua is a Nigerian woman who moved to the US for university. Her first love, Obinze, plans to do the same, but is denied entry, so their paths diverge in different countries for many years.
While at university, Ifemelu begins a blog through which she processes and shares her discoveries about race and what it means to be black in America. Years later, she decides to return to Nigeria and reconnect with Obinze, but she is returning to her homeland a deeply changed woman. Will her feelings toward her homeland and her first love also have changed?
Adichie is certainly deserving of the praise she receives. Americanah is a complex, layered novel, with well-drawn characters and lots of nuance.
Set in: the US and Nigeria
Read this if: you’ve heard of Adichie and want to know what the hype is about; or if you are interested in novels that examine immigration and cultural identity.
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Hopefully this list has served as a helpful guide to discovering the rich wealth of literature from 21st century Nigerian writers, including an impressive line-up of female Nigerian writers.
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