The Peoples of Nigeria is Reviving Diversity through Illustrated Storytelling

One of the most effective ways to preserve a culturally diverse and historically rich country like Nigeria is through documenting and telling creative stories that resonate with our realities and highlight the intricacies of each culture. This is the spirit behind The Peoples of Nigeria, a groundbreaking illustrated book that captures the essence of 36 ethnic groups across the nation. Written with children in mind but embraced by readers of all ages, the book is a bold attempt to spark conversations, revive cultural heritage, and foster unity among Nigerians. This edition of Launchpad features a conversation with Oluwalanu Agusto, author of Peoples of Nigeria, where she discusses her inspirations, process and hope for putting together this defining piece of literature.

MIRACLE ADEBAYO: What inspired you to write The Peoples of Nigeria, and what did you set out to achieve?

OLUWALANU AGUSTO: The inspiration for The Peoples of Nigeria came from my established love of culture, history and anthropology.  In my early 20s, I spent some time travelling around Europe, learning about the history and culture of different countries. Information about these countries’ history and culture is so well documented and easily accessible through tour guides, museums and preserved historical landmarks. All of these lead me to wonder why I knew so little about the cultures of my continent, or even my own country. The desire to change that for myself and future generations of Nigerians led to the birthing of The Peoples of Nigeria. 

How did you determine which ethnic groups or communities to spotlight in the book?

The format of The Peoples of Nigeria influenced the ethnic groups I chose to spotlight. The book is divided into three main parts – Southern Nigeria, Central Nigeria & Northern Nigeria. I decided each region should be equally represented with twelve diverse ethnic groups. 

To select the twelve for each region, the first factor I used was population size. The second was the popularity of the group, and the third was cultural diversity from ethnic groups that had already been selected. This selection process gave The Peoples of Nigeria thirty-six culturally rich ethnic groups from around the country. 

Why did you target children as your audience?  

I have a strong belief that early childhood is the best time to start nurturing interest and pride in African identity.  This is because most adults are hard to influence on this topic. After all, they already have an internalised prejudice towards facets of African Culture. They feel foreign products or experiences are superior to ours, and this is what I like to call ‘the remnants of colonialism’.

Beyond this, creating an illustrated book allowed me to showcase African Culture as fun and colourful. I loved the idea of having a colourful and vibrant representation of our culture. I believed even adults would enjoy this more than a journal article or a historical text-only book, and current feedback has proven my thoughts right. The Peoples of Nigeria is now perceived, not just as a children’s book, but a must-read for adults of my generation. Many see the book as a conversation starter they proudly displayed on their coffee tables.

In what ways do you think Nigeria’s cultural diversity has been misrepresented or underrepresented in mainstream narratives, both locally and internationally?

Nigerian cultural diversity has been severely underrepresented in our generation, especially in politics, education and multimedia. While speaking with people of my parents’ generation, it was clear that they knew a great number of the ethnic groups I was researching for The Peoples of Nigeria. However, this is not the same for people from my generation, as they could not name five ethnic groups in Southern Nigeria. 

In politics, Nigeria practices a zoning system of choosing its leaders, rather than a merit-based system. This zoning also doesn’t take into account minor ethnic groups in each region, hence the underrepresented outcome. I hope one day this changes. Our education system has seen a decline over the last few decades, and this has also included a lack of proper education on our country’s history and culture. 

Unfortunately, fixing this goes way beyond what The Peoples of Nigeria can do, especially without a good foundational education for our children, but I’m glad the book provides a good starting point to rewrite this narrative.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in gathering authentic stories for this book?

There were no specific big challenges in gathering authentic stories for The Peoples of Nigeria. The only thing I could possibly say is that a few interviewees did not take the project as seriously as I would have liked. However, the majority of Nigerians I interviewed were ecstatic about the project and willing to help in more ways than I even asked of them. They instantly saw the importance of the project and were so happy to be a part of creating it. 

How was the discussion process during your research? Was there any stand-out moment?

Almost every moment was a stand-out moment for me during the interview process. Due to my limited knowledge of the culture of Nigerian ethnic groups at the time of the interviews, I always got excited with every little fact I learnt from an interviewee. It was so nice to understand people’s perspectives and way of life. I have so much respect for all these cultures, and I am so happy to continue to learn about more ethnic groups in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. 

How do you strike a balance between celebrating cultural identities and addressing the tensions or stereotypes that sometimes exist among Nigeria’s ethnic groups?

This may be wrong to say, but I stayed away from thinking about ethnic tensions and negative stereotypes while creating this book. I allowed myself to live in a utopia where all Nigerians not only get along but love each other deeply. It was from this utopia that I created The Peoples of Nigeria. That is why the book cover depicts the children hurdled up together holding each other like a family. My hope is that the book helps make that utopia a reality. 

How can a book like The Peoples of Nigeria contribute to national unity and shape the conversation around identity, inclusion, and heritage in the country?

The Peoples of Nigeria can have a positive impact by helping to bridge the gap of ignorance in our cultural knowledge of Nigeria. It is a simple book; however, my goal with creating it was to spark conversations, provoke questions and stimulate growth. There are many people, foods, festivals and practices in this book which are unknown to many Nigerians. Understanding how and why people choose to identify a certain way will help our the problem of inclusion. I hope The Peoples of Nigeria helps to revive dying languages and practices for the sake of our heritage. As Nigerians, our heritage is all we can leave behind for future generations. We have to preserve it, the same way the people who came before us preserved it for us to find our identity and pride in being Africans.

In your opinion, what role should writers, artists, and historians play in preserving and documenting cultural identity in a fast-changing digital world?

I believe writers, artists and historians are pivotal in preserving and championing cultural identity. However, they have existed for centuries and have always played their roles incredibly well. Today, I find myself being more grateful for the technical developers who have made preserving what we create so easy and unlosable. The internet holds languages and histories that can never be lost. We can only keep building and improving on what we have created. I find that so invaluable. 

What’s your hope for this book five to ten years from now, especially in terms of its impact on education, policymaking, or cultural appreciation?

On my end, I plan to continue to improve the book. However, aside from the obvious impact of easing ethnic tensions, I hope it helps to push or revive dying languages. The Peoples of Nigeria has 36 Nigerian indigenous languages, and I hope people who do not speak their language are urged to learn it after reading this book. 

In terms of policy-making and cultural appreciation, I hope the book helps people appreciate and understand ethnic differences. I hope it fosters a new generation of individuals with unity at the core of their ideals. When we begin to think of what is best for us all and not just a few, that is when Nigeria will begin to actualise its potential. 

If you were to embark on this journey again, what would you do differently?

Honestly, I wouldn’t do anything differently. I rewrote The Peoples of Nigeria three or four times in different formats. I scraped illustrations over and over again because I thought of new designs I believed would be better. Everything that happened on this journey taught me so much about researching, creating and publishing a book. Ten years from now, I’d still be proud of The Peoples of Nigeria because I will always know I created it to the best of my abilities at the time.