SHADOWS: Protest Essays on Africa’s Most Consequential Country (1999–2023)
For more than two decades, Eniola Bello has been one of the most recognisable voices in Nigerian journalism. A seasoned journalist and the Managing Director of THISDAY Newspaper, Bello built a loyal following through his back-page column, “eniB,” where his sharp observations on politics, governance and national affairs became required reading for many. The column became so closely associated with him that “eniB” eventually became his nickname. Now, many of those essays have been brought together in his new book SHADOWS: Protest Essays on Africa’s Most Consequential Country (1999–2023), a two-volume collection that captures the story of Nigeria’s democratic journey over the first 25 years of the Fourth Republic.
Spanning more than 900 pages, SHADOWSrevisits some of the defining moments, debates and controversies that shaped the country between 1999 and 2023. Bello writes about corruption, insecurity, electoral malpractice, leadership failures, policy inconsistency, the growing cost of governance and the widening disconnect between public officials and the people they serve. He also examines the influence of godfatherism, ethnic politics, religious manipulation and the persistent struggle to build strong democratic institutions.
What makes the book particularly engaging is that it reads like a running conversation with history. Rather than looking back with the benefit of hindsight alone, the essays capture events as they unfolded, reflecting the mood, expectations and frustrations of the time. The result is a collection that feels immediate and relevant, even years after some of the pieces were first published.
Beyond political commentary, SHADOWSserves as an important record of Nigeria’s evolving democracy. It documents not only the country’s setbacks but also the moments that inspired hope, encouraging readers to reflect on how far the nation has come and how much further it still has to go.
Thought-provoking and meticulously observed, SHADOWS is more than a compilation of newspaper columns. It is a valuable historical record and an insightful read for anyone seeking to understand the forces, personalities and decisions that have shaped modern Nigeria.
