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Dear Chimamanda, I have heard stories about how you turned down every prospective suitor. But I blame those men who thought you would be captivated by their mere show of masculinity. They should have done a background check on you to find out who you are. However, I thank goodness for creating such irreconcilable differences between you and these men. It gave me a huge opportunity to prepare fully to shoot my own shot at you. Over the years, I have watched you from a distance. Definitely, it was never stalking, but admiration for your persona. I first saw your picture on television. It was on a literary show created for book lovers like me. I remember how provocative your dress was. It was unlike the female educators I know, who were always stuffed into old suits like sardines. I remember wanting to know more about you, but the presenters said little about you except your name, “Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,” which sounded like a whole industry. Eventually, I got to read about you from my ...

The world celebrated International Day of the Boy Child, and I went into solitude to reflect on my growth as a boy in Africa. Growing up, I always had a constant reminder that “I am a man.” Aunties and uncles whispered into my ears that soon, I would have my own family. Therefore, I had to start acting like a man. Elders threw proverbs into our conversations to buttress this point. At that time, I was barely a teenager. It is said that when a boy child is born, so also are his problems. He cannot waste his time chasing rats when his house is on fire. He must start early enough to tackle these problems and challenges, or else they will see to his end. He is not allowed to play with toys because it is considered feminine. Just like Jesus in the Bible, he must follow in the footsteps of his father. When I eventually became a teenager, I was told that my dreams were not enough. I was made to feel that dreaming itself was irresponsible. I was condemned because I dreamt of becoming a writer....

I made a post on Substack about why you should avoid people, basically Africans, who adopt fake accents. Beneath the post, an argument, which I considered civilized (and I'm grateful that a sane app like Substack still exists in this insane world), ensued. The argument really opened my eyes to the gravity of neocolonialism in Africa. Renowned writer, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, in his book Decolonising the Mind: The Politics Of Language In African Literature,argued that our stories should be told using African languages. This has been the major yardstick of argument among African scholars and academics. African books should be written in African languages like Igbo, Yoruba, Swahili, and the rest of them. The movie and music industries should tell their stories in African languages. The argument is that it establishes our belief in African culture and independence from the West. This will make room for global dominance and fair competition between different cultures. However, while we ar...

"Haven't you heard about the blessed one in the story of the sun?” Chikadibia asked. Everywhere was quiet. Chikadibia looked into the eyes of his friends, who gazed at each other with confusion. The cool wind moved gently as he began the story. “In the land of Umunta, located on the shores of West Africa, there lived a man called Udemba. Udemba was a warrior well known across the cities of West Africa. Nations trembled at his feet and empires crumbled at his sight. His community, Umunta, was so proud of having a great son like him. Udemba was also a successful farmer. His barn was the largest barn in Umunta. It was so tall that anyone who fell from the top would break his legs. People traveled from different cities to see the great edifice called the barn. Despite his successes, Udemba had the reputation of being a chronic womanizer. He loved women more than his own life. Udemba slept with any woman he came across. He hardly went to bed at night without a woman at his side, ca...