Shattereddreamsnovel.com

What's the essence of the vigorously edited and vibrantly coloured videos, when we are not engaging in a real conversation? There is no real celebration associated with Nigeria's Independence Day. There has never been anything real.  The festivities, as we might call it, have always been performative. Perhaps, it is a way of ignoring the inadequacies which has displaced Nigeria from its place as the Giant of Africa. Every October 1st, we are reminded of our allegiance to our motherland. It's our sole responsibility to shield Nigeria like a hen protecting its chicks from predators. We are expected to carry the name like the faeces in our bowl and never get exhausted from preaching the gospel of the most populous nation in Africa. The rich cultural heritage of the country is echoed through carefully edited videos from the country's top creators. Writers scribble essays and short stories that capture the lives of people in the most interior parts of the country. From Isuof...

It is already established that every effeminate man is gay. He might not have accepted it. But he is a prime suspect. Maybe he's still living in the closet. But he will still come out as gay or transgender. That's why they are hunted like wild animals because they have the spirit of death in them. And it is really a brilliant idea to trample this spirit so as not to infect the rest of the world with a plague. However, has this stopped the spread of homosexuality among the menfolk? Obviously not. Among that crowd of men with a muscular build, there's always a Judas Iscariot who will eventually come out as gay in the future. For now, he's doing his best to hide from the wrath of society. Unfortunately, it won't be forever. The question becomes, "How do we identify these men who are wolves hiding under sheep's clothing?" It requires paying rapt attention to the little details of a person's life, no matter how uncomfortable it seems to be. Although, in...

 What's the role of the African writer in national and continental development?  And what is his place in the society? First of all, a writer doesn't owe his country any form of allegiance. And that's one thing people fail to understand.  The African writer is expected to carry the banner of the continent like a cross or burden. Most times, this banner emphasizes poverty and the corruption in the continent. There will never be a portrayal of Africa as a land of opportunities. So, you see African writers telling stories of war and hunger. Or stories with a bad ending. For a writer, patriotism should be a form of moral obligation. There has been a history of writers who wrote against their country. It shouldn't be different for the African writer. Secondly, I think it's high time we saw our writers beyond the scope of public figures and intellectuals. In America and Europe, writers attend high-profile events.  However, in our continent, writers are treated like anothe...

While I was in secondary school, bullies always reminded me that I'm effeminate. I was made to carry effeminacy as a curse, like a nickname that didn't come from a place of love. These differences and clashes with bullies were a result of rattled opinions—ideas that should never be conceived by a man. These vary from feminism to music preferences. For this, I was seen as that boy who would grow into a simp. A woman can run me over without thinking twice. And considering that I am effeminate, I will probably turn gay and become the next Bobrisky. But I ignored them and their grievances. I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and that doesn't invalidate my capacity as a man, especially when these accusations are mere assumptions. They can call me gay or whatever they want. But one thing I'm sure of is that my value system places me at the banquet among my peers. However, a few months in Nsukka as a college student have left me with no other choice than to q...

 I remember it like it was yesterday. Those days, British accent was the trendy thing in Nigeria. Schools hired teachers who taught British accent in the name of social etiquette.  My school hired a teacher who taught this British accent as a subject. Then, we were forced to pronounce “baby” as “beibi”. Saying “bebi” is considered outrageous and vernacular and too “Igbotic”. And as a pupil, who is aiming at the global stage, you must learn how to speak “correctly” and “constructively” inorder to be favoured by the white people - ndi ocha. Pupils were made to compete against themselves. There was a prize for the best “British speaker” in the class.  And the kid who couldn't speak in a British accent? He is the dullard of the class. The empty brain, one who wouldn't cross the shores of River Niger. Looking back at this moment in my life, I realize how foolish we were. Our culture was already at the verge of collapse and we were contributing to its own extinction. This is th...

Africa's biggest confusion is not merely that colonialism distorted their history, but Africans themselves now disagree on what their traditions really were. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the 2026 WTO Open Day  You think you know your culture? You have the traditions of your ancestors at the tip of your fingers? From the day of the Berlin Conference of 1884–85 to the conquest of Britain and France in your various countries, you have read and summarized everything like a book in preparation for an upcoming examination. I'm sure you can tell a few stories about the Arabian slave trade across North Africa. In your brain, your account of these stories is the most accurate and empirical of all accounts. Of course, you read them in books written by scholars grounded in African history. So, you are not wrong when you describe yourself as an authority on African history. However, have you noticed the recent misinterpretation of the norms, beliefs, and practices of the African people? Everyone...