• A Durbar Festival for Hassan and Hussaina

    Age Range: 3 – 8 years

    The Durbar festival in Katsina is here and everyone is excited to see the Emir leading a colourful procession on horseback. Hassan and Hussaina jump up and down when they see their brother riding behind the Emir.

    Inspired by the festivities, the twins decide to organise a Durbar festival of their own. They do not have horses or colourful costumes but they have a clever plan. Soon, the twins are on their way to join in the fun.

  • Jamila’s Clever Plan

    Age Range: 3 – 8 years

    Jamila lives with her grandmother in Bebeji, Kano state. Her grandmother, Kaka, is a dressmaker. One day, Kaka decides to pack away her sewing machine because she can no longer see.

    Sad and scared, Jamila stops school to care for her blind grandmother. Together, they beg for alms in the marketplace until they come across a new eye clinic.

    Jamila hatches a clever plan to help Kaka get her sight back.

  • Iyaji, the Housegirl

    Six-year old Iyaji loves going to school in Igede, Benue State. One day, her father tells her she has to go and work as a housegirl in a big house in Lagos.

    Little Iyaji works as hard as she can but she misses her house, her family and her books. Just when Iyaji begins to lose all hope of going back to school, a policewoman follows her home.

  • The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives

    For a polygamist like Baba Segi, his collection of wives and a gaggle of children are the symbol of prosperity, success and validation of his manhood. Everything runs reasonably smoothly in the patriarchal home, until wife number four intrudes on this family romance. Bolanle, a graduate amongst the semi-literate wives, is hated from the start. Baba Segi’s glee at bagging a graduate doesn’t help matters. Worse, Bolanle’s arrival threatens to do more than simply ruffle feathers. She’s unwittingly set to expose a secret that her co-wives intend to protect, at all costs.

    Lola Shoneyin’s light and ironic touch exposes not only the rotten innards of Baba Segi’s polygamous household in this cleverly plotted story; it also shows how women not educated or semi-literate, women in contemporary Nigeria can be as restricted, controlled and damaged by men – be they fathers, husbands, uncles, rapists – as they’ve never been.

  • Do As You Are Told, Baji!

    Baji goes to Kaduna to spend the weekend with his grandfather, Baba. Baba takes Baji to his farm but soon finds that Bajo doesn’t often do as he is told. As an eventful day on the farm ends, fun loving Baji encounters a stubborn donkey.

Main Menu