Nigerian poet and University of New Orleans scholar, Prof. Niyi Osundare has decried Nigeria’s sharp decline, saying the country has deteriorated significantly from what it once was.
Osundare spoke at a conversation programme on his latest book, “Truth Is Trouble”, where he expressed concern over the growing challenges confronting the nation, while calling for renewed efforts to rebuild the country.
The event was organised by Booksellers Limited in collaboration with Bookcraft Limited, the book’s publisher, on Tuesday in Ibadan.
Osundare said one of the recurring issues addressed in “Truth Is Trouble” is the increasing migration of Nigerians, particularly highly skilled professionals, to Europe, America, and other developed countries in search of better opportunities.
He described the development, popularly known as “Japa”, as a major concern that deserves serious attention from the Nigerian government.
He warned that the country could not afford to continue losing its best brains without addressing the conditions forcing them to leave.
The poet argued that Nigeria has the capacity to become a better country, but stressed that meaningful development would not happen automatically.
He said Nigerians must work collectively to build the country, pointing out that the developed nations Nigerians are migrating to were also built by human beings.
He noted that the solution to Nigeria’s problems lies in confronting them rather than abandoning the country entirely.
According to Osundare, the book brings together intellectual, creative, and humanist perspectives, with his central concern being the welfare and dignity of human beings.
The scholar also linked the rising level of violence in Nigeria to poverty, inequality, and the failure to provide basic opportunities for citizens, particularly children.
He expressed concern over Nigeria’s large population of out-of-school children, warning that neglecting them and denying them access to education and decent living conditions could create a generation estranged from society.
Explaining the title of the book, “Truth Is Trouble”, Osundare said truth often becomes troublesome when it challenges those in positions of power.
Recalling his experiences during Nigeria’s military era, he said he was regarded as a radical and faced harassment for advocating democracy, saying writers and citizens must continue speaking the truth to power.
He urged Nigerians to reject attempts to disguise hunger as fasting or poverty as contentment, insisting that the country must confront its realities honestly to achieve the Nigeria of their dreams.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of Booksellers Limited, Ibadan, Dr Kolade Mosuro, said that the collaboration with Bookcraft, the publisher of the book, was to turn the bookshop into a resource centre and create a platform for conversation around the book.
“The conversation is like a book review. But in this case, it’s an interrogation of the author’s life, in which various perspectives are given.
“The conversation gives the author an opportunity to provide insight into how he wrote the book, the inspiration behind it, and what he was trying to achieve, and an opportunity to respond to questions relating to the book and literature generally,” he said.