Five books from the Abuja book chat

Let me start by apologizing to my teeming fans for not been on board with your column as 2019 opened. This is because I took a well-deserved break and decided to shut down completely going far away where phones cannot reach me and staying far away from the internet. In wellness parlance, I went away […]

Let me start by apologizing to my teeming fans for not been on board with your column as 2019 opened. This is because I took a well-deserved break and decided to shut down completely going far away where phones cannot reach me and staying far away from the internet. In wellness parlance, I went away to reboot. I am back, rewired, refreshed and re-invigorated. We shall talk about that in subsequent columns and I promise to share information on how best to reboot and refresh. Be assured that I will never take my readers for granted as you are my energizers, those on the reading journey with me together. I thank you all and wish you a truly blessed year ahead.

Today, I want to share with you an incredible initiative on book reading which started at the Maitama Amusement park last week at our little creative space. I have always believed that where readers, writers and thinkers gather is a place of knowledge and inspiration and for bookworms like me, a place of great joy. So my team and I decided to start a reading initiative, The Abuja Book Chat, to contribute our two pence to the reading culture and habit in Abuja and to create the requisite buzz for the right books and share engaging titles. Scheduled to take place every other month, the next edition is in March. For this month, however, our theme was what book most inspired you in 2018 and why. Our excitement was super high when former BPE Director General, my friend and sister, Bola Onaguruwa, accepted to be special guest. The venue was filled with intellectuals and readers, the literati, writers and interested bookworms including the hierarchy of the Association of Nigerian Authors. There were two former ANA Presidents, Denja Abdullahi and Professor Raji , former Permanent Secretary Ministry of National planning,  award winning writer, Chinyere Obi Obasi, among many of our distinguished guests. Also present was former Editor, Daily Trust on Sunday, Theophilus Abah and the Chairman of Abuja ANA, and her team among many others. The discourse was as robust as it was illuminating. Everyone had a great time and an enjoyable evening discussing book titles and sharing their impact.

Here are five books from the exciting titles discussed.

1) China’s second continent:
How a million migrants are building a new empire in Africa by Howard French. This book was named by Professor Raji as the book that most impacted him last year. In fact, he said he had stopped reading for leisure for a while now and reads only if he can learn something about the world. This book that he picked is among many development books that talks about something akin to neocolonialism and the new scramble for Africa. The book talks about china’s methods while settling in Africa for business and how marriages between Chinese and the locals are leading to Chinese land acquisition in Africa. An amazing title to get your teeth into this year if you have not already read it.

2) The book chosen by my sister and former Accountant General of Cross River state, Princess Eyamba, is about mental health. An area we often pay little attention to. The time of your life: Choosing a vibrant joyful future by Margaret Trudeau wife of former Canadian Prime Minister and mother to the current Canadian Prime Minister is about her downward spiral into depression, anxiety and mental health which led her to divorce her husband and wonder around the world aimlessly for several years. In all of this, it was not very clear what was going on with her as mental health diagnosis and treatment had not advanced this much at the time. She had kept a strange pack of friends, threw morals to the wind and was in what she thought was a happy but unhealthy downward spiral. Looking back now, she talks about healthy living, living your best life and her mental health journey in a book that can only keep you glued to it for a couple of days. In fact, Princes Eyamba says she recommends it to all the women in her life. Take a cue, man or woman, get a copy. No one is immune to mental health challenges. It is not a respecter of persons. Take care of yourself in 2019, try to be stress free to keep away any mental health challenges. You can only overcome your problems if you are alive and mentally healthy.

3) Mrs. Fatima Meede’s choice for the book that most impacted her in 2018 is 24 lessons for the 21st century by Yuval Noah Harari. A guide for managing the many issues we face in today’s very complicated world. Seen strategically displayed in the world’s major bookshops, it’s a must have and a best seller.

4) The Godfather by Maria Puzzo was named by Nnanna Anyanwu, 2018 Asia global fellow, fellow Chevening scholar and multiple entrepreneur visiting from Lagos. He said, most interestingly, that one should look past the violence in the book and look instead at the strategies therein. He named some of them as never negotiating from a position of weakness and upscaling the importance of loyalty. I have read The Godfather many times but I now wore new eyes to re-read it again with Nnanna’s perspectives. Amazing!

5) Banker to the poor by Muhammad Yunus was offered as one of her more impacting books for 2018 by NLNG shortlisted writer Chinyere Obi Obasi. This is a book about how one man changed how credit is offered to the poor and went on to win multiple awards for his groundbreaking work on financial inclusion long before it became fashionable in the finance world.