Nigerian Novels that Mirror Nollywood’s Storytelling
By: Faizat Hamzat
We all grew up watching those Nollywood movies — Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba epic films. Those Broken Calabash, Broken Home movies, where the secrets of a whole family lie in an ancestral calabash from a possessed second wife. The fake life slay queen chronicles or aso-ebi dramas; the mad man giving prophecies, or the brutal life in the trenches. The greedy old chief that always carries young chicks which somehow leads to his death, or the funny life of mechanic men.
Unfortunately, Korean, Chinese, and other foreign movies have relatively taken over the Nigerian movie market. However, the memories and the excitement are still there. For someone who has lost interest in watching Nigerian movies or prefers reading to watching, these Nigerian novels are nostalgic and they carry the full Nollywood spirit. They are rich with Nigerian activities, norms, traditions, marriage palava, trench stories, and family sagas of everyday Nigerian life.
Adanna by Adesuwa O. Man Nwokedi
Adesuwa carries early marriage palava into this novel in full spiritLike the usual Nollywood script where a young girl has to marry due to family financial problems. However, Adanna’s story is more depressing than that. How does it feel when a father marries his youngest son’s first love and his first son’s crush? How does it feel when a teenager finds herself among wolves — wolves that prey on her, break her, and put blood on her hands?Adanna depicts an endless seasonal Nollywood movie, demanding tears from the reader. It portrays happiness after trials, where love prevails and wickedness pays off.
Born In A House of Glass by Chinenye Emezie
A House of Glass is a tender home full of broken stories and secrets. Stories buried to be forgotten, but resurrected back to timeline . Secrets that haunt and follow everywhere. What does it feel like when one’s whole life is a lie? What if danger trails you, but you embrace and defend it? This flows with a Nollywood movie of broken homes and family secrets where the one you trust is your enemy.
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
This follows a typical Nigerian movie where an insane person prophesies. The novel is themed with harsh fate, prophecy, brotherhood, and revenge. It emphasizes fatherhood and heeding parents’ instructions — as a Nigerian mother will always preach. It also portrays Nigerians’ traditional belief in prophecies and their implications on fate.
Chimeka Garricks: Tomorrow Died Yesterday
What happens when the future of the younger generation starts rotting today? How do political instability and inequality affect coming leaders? How do unemployment and misinformation cut deeply into the future of the so-called leaders of tomorrow? Life in the trenches is rough and brutal. The younger ones are always open to situations out of their control. But when someone is taken out of the trench, can the trench be taken out of him? This resembles a Nollywood story of a hardened thief hiding behind chasing the “national cake” for selfish interest. Similar to the movies, the thief is finally caught through a woman, with manipulative lawyers and corrupt security agencies playing their part.
Michael Afenfia: The Mechanics of Yenegoa
This novel tells the story of a young student and mechanic who finds himself in crisis after crisis, like a troubled demon, until his death. From his promiscuous life to troubles with thugs, politicians, and even his pastor, everything mirrors a typical Nollywood series like Jenifa’s Diary by Funke Akindele.The novel is also themed with betrayal and the consequences of a rough life.
Tomorrow I Become a Woman: Aiwanose Odafen
“Marry me, Uju.”
Just three words. Not a request. Not a plea. Not a romantic gesture. Almost a command. Many Nigerian women find themselves in not-so-loving marriages due to pressure, especially from mothers who believe every woman has a short window before getting too old for marriage. They push their daughters into unions they later regret. This is exactly the story of Uju and her friends. But what choices are left for women when marriage becomes too hot to endure?These Nigerian novels, alongside others, share the Nollywood spirit and nostalgia. They carry the Nigerian essence in full with a creative pen and deserve commendation for their great storytelling. They are not just stories but a revival of Nollywood’s spirit. They deserve a space on your bookshelf if you know what it feels like to be Nigerian.
