Clarion Calls: An essay from the collection, Of This Our Country

To define Nigeria is to tell a half-truth. Many have tried, but most have concluded that it is impossible to capture the true scope and significance of Africa’s most populous nation through words or images.

Yet here, through personal essays from 24 of its writers, a more accurate picture comes into view, and in her essay, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ recalls memories of her time in the National Youth Service and her growing understanding of her Nigerian identity through the words of the national anthem.

Powerful, lyrical and entirely unforgettable, the essays from OF THIS OUR COUNTRY weave together a living portrait of Nigeria, one that is as beautiful as it is complex.