Synopsis
Naija No Dey Carry Last is a collection of essays detailing Pius Adesanmi’s observations, thoughts, and reactions on Nigeria. As a public intellectual, Pius Adesanmi has taken on both quotidian and ‘hallowed’ issues and made them accessible to the reader. The reader is served, as it were, not just the facts, but the tongue-in-cheek opinion of the author’s obviously intellectual capacities.
Divided into three parts, Naija No Dey Carry Last first tackles recent political history. The second part titled, “In The Beginning Was The Word,” uses the English of the King James version of the Bible to parody Nigeria’s incongruent realities. The last part is a series of open letters in which the author tackles the funny metonymies of the most populous black nation in the world.
This book is bound to make anyone laugh. Anyone who likes Victor Ehikhamenor’s Excuse Me will definitely find this book utterly likeable. Pius Adesanmi, like Trevor Noah, has the ability to couch serious issues in a not so serious tone. He invites the reader to consider Nigeria’s situation, but he asks that the reader to also step back to see a lighter side of things. Perhaps, having seen the lighter side, the reader is forced to see a marked contrast of dark realities lurking behind the ability of Nigerians to laugh, philosophize, and spiritualize every issue. It is no wonder that the author, in his preface, talks about the price of laughter.
About the Author