Events

Richard Bourne in discussion with Minna Salami, Chibundu Onuzo and Stephanie Busari

Wednesday 11th November 2015
19:00 at Waterstones, London - Trafalgar Square

Nigeria: A New History of a Turbulent Century (Paperback)

Richard Bourne

UPDATE: We are now fully booked for seats - however, please feel free to reserve a space on our standing/waiting list! Thanks!

This is a free event, but booking is essential, please rsvp to reserve a place.
Tel 020 7839 4411 - email: [email protected]

Richard Bourne in discussion with Minna Salami, Chibundu Onuzo & Stephanie Busari - launching 'Nigeria: A new History of a Turbulent Country'

2014 marked the centenary of Nigeria’s creation (under the British Empire), and March 2015 saw an incumbent president lose re-election for the first time in Nigeria’s history. The country is poised between the legacy of colonialism and military rule and a brighter democratic future.

Known as the ‘African giant’ – the continents most populous country, largest economy and leading oil producer – Nigeria’s story is a complex one. How, despite the ravages of colonialism, civil war and most recently the Boko Harem insurgency, has the country managed to stay together? Why, despite an abundance of natural resource wealth, have so many of its people remained in poverty? These are the key questions explored by Richard Bourne in this remarkable and wide-ranging account of Nigeria's history.Featuring a wealth of original research and interviews, this is an essential insight into the shaping of a country where-despite the seemingly dashed hopes that were raised at independence-there still remains hope 'the Nigeria project' may still succeed.

Richard Bourne is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London University and Secretary to the Ramphal Institute, London. He is a former journalist for the Guardian and London Evening Standard and was the first director of the non-governmental Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative. His books include Catastrophe: What Went Wrong in Zimbabwe? (Zed Books, 2011) and Lula of Brazil (Zed Books, 2008).

Minna Salami is an award-winning Nigerian-Finnish writer, speaker and commentator on African feminism, society and culture. She blogs as MsAfropolitan www.msafropolitan.com

Chibundu Onuzo is the author of The Spider King's Daughter which was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Commonwealth Book Prize.

Stephanie Busari is a Peabody award winning journalist and Supervising Producer at CNNI digital. She was formerly Africa producer at CNN and has reported extensively on Nigeria for the network.

Waterstones, London - Trafalgar Square

Wednesday 11th November 2015
19:00

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