Official Review: Nigeria: The 'Giant'... by Dele Owolowo

Daniel_ · Post by **Daniel_** » 30 Dec 2019, 16:15

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Nigeria: The 'Giant'..." by Dele Owolowo.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Nigeria: The ‘Giant’ Leading the Race to Extinction! is a nonfiction book by Dele Owolowo, a Nigerian writer, who has not only traveled to many countries but also lived and worked in most of them. His exposure, plus his heartfelt concern for his nation, led to him writing this thought-provoking and highly informative book. Though it is the third book in a series about the nation, it is a stand-alone book.

As I read Nigeria: The ‘Giant’ Leading the Race to Extinction!, I kept on shaking my head in utter sympathy for the nation. The facts that Dele revealed are disheartening. In it, Dele bluntly expressed how Nigeria, the most populous Black nation, has failed to lead the Black race. He pointed out several areas in which this is evident: economic level, technological advancement, agriculture, military prowess, etc. Dele also presented some advanced mind-blowing global projects in which Nigeria lacks any contribution whatsoever. He made it known that Nigeria, ‘the Giant of Africa,’ has not earned what he calls the ‘3Rs’—recognition, respect, and relevance—among the other races around the world. Dele went further to point out that the nation, Nigeria, may fall victim to ‘elimination’ in the future, just like some other races in the past.

Nigeria: The ‘Giant’ Leading the Race to Extinction! is a well-written and well-researched book. It was written in two languages: English and Nigeria Pidgin, an English-based pidgin language spoken as a lingua franca across Nigeria. However, English is the primary language used, and so, Pidgin-to-English translations were provided at the end of this 211-page book. This book contains Acknowledgement, Preface, Foreword, 7 chapters, and 5 appendices. Dele included charts, maps, pictures, and other illustrative tools to drive home his points. His analysis and inferences are quite solid, and he also provided references.

In general, Dele Owolowo used a serious tone in writing this book; however, with the Pidgin English inclusions, which were presented in italics, Dele added sarcasm and humor. Notwithstanding, these inclusions were quite distracting, as it affected the flow. I fear that this might also affect other readers except, perhaps, Nigerian readers.

I like the depth of information in this book. I also like the short story presented in the first chapter of this book. Dele, while trying to fathom the mind of God, came up with the story of a man, Earthos, with two children, Afris and Ameris, who both have different personalities. I love how Dele used this story to portray Africa as a whole.

Though Dele did a good job of providing references, I would have preferred that a list of references be provided at the end of the book instead of having hyperlinked sources within the chapters. This would have made it more organized. Besides the referencing style adopted, I also have a problem with some of the included charts and images, as they were unreadable—even after I zoomed in—due to image size and image quality. Also, this book contains a lot of errors especially punctuation-related errors. Hence, I rate Nigeria: The ‘Giant’ Leading the Race to Extinction! three out of four stars.

This is a must-read for all Nigerians, home and abroad. Also, I recommend it to all Africans. And in general, this is a great book for historical-book lovers, political-book lovers, and readers who are interested in keeping abreast of happenings and developments in the world. This book has absolutely no erotic content and no profane language with used.

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Nigeria: The 'Giant'...
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Post by **Adina Lutinger** » 08 Jan 2020, 10:37

This sounds like a very informative and thought-provoking book that the author wrote from the depth of his heart. Thanks for the great review!

AvidBibliophile · Post by **AvidBibliophile** » 16 Jan 2020, 01:33

Blunt expressions are sometimes necessary to truly convey the realities occurring around us that lead to such disheartening sensations. It's good to hear the information was well-researched. Thanks for the review!

QuirkyPenn · Post by **QuirkyPenn** » 28 Jan 2020, 00:47

Great review. I would like to read this sometime. Africa is close to my heart. Seeing it from a Nigerian's point of view would be very interesting.

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 28 Jan 2020, 20:26

The author can be applauded for his research and insights into his home country's current situation. Hopefully, his knowledge can be the starting point to educate others in his country, and around the world, to improve people's lives. This is an insightful and informative review. Thanks.