Father’s Land - 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 his essay Umar Turaki uses his Father as a lens through which to explore his Nigerian heritage and experience, painting a beautiful picture of how family and nation can often be one and the same. 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.