Day Okediran held court with ‘Madagali’ at The Africa Centre in London

By Akintayo Abodunrin

THE novelist, physician, politician, and cultural advocate captivated audiences at three UK venues by reading from ‘Madagali’, a novel that explores resilience, displacement, and the human spirit amid conflict.

Writer, doctor, and politician, Dr Wale Okediran, embarked on a three-venue UK reading tour last December. The Pan African Writers Association Secretary-General read from ‘Madagali’ at Daniel Ford Associates, King’s Cross, London, on December 18. The Africa Centre, led by Mr Olu Alake, hosted him in London the next day. He finished with a Christmas event at the Centre for African Entrepreneurship in Swansea, Wales, on December 27.

At The Africa Centre event, Okediran engaged a diverse audience in a session moderated by Dr Sola Adeyemi, Head of Theatre Studies at the University of East Anglia, creating a dynamic evening of dialogue and book signing.

Beginning with his inspiration for the novel published in Nigeria by Evans Publishers and in the UK by Abibiman Publishing, Okediran disclosed that it was entirely fortuitous.  One of his old medical school mates, who works with an international organisation, asked whether he was willing to go to Northeast Nigeria to inspect some primary health centres it had built.

“When he said Northeast, my heart skipped a beat. I said, ‘Who will go to Boko Haram territory?’ At that time, I was broke, so I took the job. I went to Yola and learnt that I would need to visit some rural areas for inspection. One of these was the Eastern Adamawa, Madagali Local Government, where Boko Haram insurgents stayed for six months. We had to drive from Yola to Madagali, and one of the natives tried to discourage me, saying it was a dangerous place. I replied that my report would not be complete until I visited the place.

“We went and saw the carcasses of the atrocities of the Boko Haram; shelled out banks, damaged roads, everything. We learnt that the insurgents left about two weeks before our arrival. On our way back to Yola, we saw a Nigerian soldier begging for a lift.  So, I told the driver, ‘Let’s give the man a gift. He was worried he might be an insurgent in a Nigerian Army uniform. I insisted we give him a lift. The soldier, from the southeast, told me everything about his activities for the three hours of our trip. He was going home for leave for the first time in two years, but I couldn’t start writing everything because he would clam up. I memorised everything he said, and immediately, upon returning to Yola, I rushed to my hotel. I wrote down as many things as I had crammed.”

To deepen his understanding after these initial experiences, he furthered his research by consulting soldiers, NGO workers, UNICEF and Red Cross officials, and by accompanying a war veteran to a displaced persons’ camp.

He described a pivotal moment: when he interviewed soldiers, one asked about his intentions for the interviews. Okediran explained it was for a book to raise awareness of the Boko Haram insurgency and help find solutions. The soldier responded sceptically, expressing doubts about resolution due to entrenched interests. This response prompted Okediran to frame the story fictionally, blending a love story with a war narrative—an approach he had used previously in ‘Tenants of the House.’ He recounted that even Professor Soyinka had strong opinions on this narrative fusion, but Okediran believed that including romance helped sustain reader engagement.

Reacting to a comment by the moderator that the way he wrote the novel hints at foreign conspiracies and corruption in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency, Okediran said he sees literature to expose systemic failures. “I would say that Madagali was one of my most difficult works to write. Some of the NGOs say their mission is to save lives, but sometimes some of their officials will load a truck with food stuff, and it would disappear.”

Responding to an audience member about the differences between the covers of the Nigerian and UK editions of ‘Madagali’, Okediran disclosed that he doesn’t contribute to the covers or titles.

He explained, “I didn’t have any input into the covers. Sometimes, when I write about 70 per cent of my books, the titles are not from me. They’re from my publisher, because I believe that they know the market very well. But in this case, this title is mine. Even my publisher fought me. He said he didn’t like the title, and I said it was because Madagali is a vital part of the Boko Haram insurgency. It’s only fair that we honour them with the title. When we launched the novel at the 2021 Nigerian International Book Fair in Lagos, people from Madagali came in large numbers to thank me.

“I didn’t have any say in the covers of both the Nigerian and UK editions, but I hope people will pick their choice. And I believe that as writers, we should not be too egocentric about our book. I know some writers who will tell you that from beginning to the end, they will make decisions about their book; the cover, title and even the editing. I tell them, ‘You’re a writer, not a marketer.’  Only the publisher knows the state of play in the market, so I always defer to my publishers on covers and titles, unless it’s something terribly out of place. Generally, I don’t quarrel with their decisions.”

During the event at the Africa Centre, Okediran addressed a frequent question: how he manages to combine writing, medicine, and politics. He explained, “I was drawn to the humanities from the start, excelling in English and literature. When my father asked about my career choice, I said I wanted to be a journalist. He suggested a professional course, citing my strong science grades. That’s how medicine came in.”

“So, I went for medicine.  In medical school, I was the editor of a campus newspaper, and I almost got expelled when we bugged the Vice-Chancellor, whom we saw peeing in a flower bed. While I was in medical school, I was still looking into literature. After finishing medical school, I took a creative writing course. I think I was meant to be there right from the beginning, and I continued writing as my medical career progressed. I later became the Secretary-General of the Association of Nigerian Authors and its national president.  Finally, I saw myself moving away from medicine, though I still practice medicine on weekends.  Writing has now become my full-time job, and I think it just brings to the fore the fact that all of us have some inborn talents.  But the important thing is to have the confidence to be you and grow, because our society can sometimes be too critical. I got a lot of support from people in the humanities.”

To foster interest in reading, Okediran suggested film adaptations. “When Kunle Afolayan adapted ‘Tenants of the House’, all characters spoke their languages—Fulani, Igbo, and English captions. When the film debuted on Netflix, we held a party in Accra, Ghana. The Niger Republic Ambassador, who is Fulani, was thrilled, exclaiming, ‘These are my people, this is my village.’ I believe adaptations and visual storytelling are effective.”

Despite praise from many readers, the PAWA Secretary General said some soldiers and NGO workers disliked their portrayal in the novel. He insists all events described, including women coerced for sex, are factual.

Shifting the discussion to national issues, Okediran named quality education as a key solution to Nigeria’s problems, thereby accelerating national development. He also opposed splitting the country, calling it too intertwined.

“I’ve visited all 36 Nigerian states as a parliament member, and most people are peace-loving. In Gombe, a Yoruba lady ran the top restaurant. With so much intermarriage, dividing the country would be arbitrary. We must manage differences and urge leaders—political, religious, or traditional—to act responsibly.”

Asked what his next book would be, Okediran said he didn’t know but would continue writing.

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