Nigerian literature

Nigerian literature is the literature of Nigeria which is written by Nigerians, for Nigerians and addresses Nigerian issues. It is written in English, Igbo, Urhobo, Yoruba, Hausa, and the other languages of the country. The languages used by authors in Nigeria are based in part on geography, with authors in the northern part of the country writing in Hausa. Nigerian authors have won numerous accolades, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Man Booker.

Northern Nigerian written literature can be divided into 4 main periods, The first is the 14 kingdoms(10th-19th century), and the second is the Sokoto period(19th-20th century), the 3rd is the Colonial period(20th century), and the 4th is post independence period(20th century to present).

This period had many Authors who produced many books that dealt with Theology, History, Biography, Maths, Language, Writing, Documentaries, Geography, Astronomy, Diplomacy, and Poetry.

Nigeria has produced a number of important writers, who have won accolades for their work, including Daniel O. Fagunwa, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Femi Osofisan, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Cyprian Ekwensi, Buchi Emecheta, Elechi Amadi, Tanure Ojaide and Ben Okri. Soyinka, a Yoruba native speaker writing mainly in English, received the 1986 Nobel Prize in literature, becoming the first African Literature Nobel Prize winner.

Other significant writers, of a younger generation, include Chris Abani, Ayobami Adebayo, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Yemisi Aribisala, Sefi Atta, Igoni Barrett Helon Habila, Chigozie Obioma, Helen Oyeyemi, Nnedi Okorafor, Chinelo Okparanta, Sarah Ladipo Manyika, Chika Unigwe, Ogaga Ifowodo, and Teju Cole. Some, including Ifowodo, Cole and Adichie, are based in the West.

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