Nigerian Author Lola Shoneyin Champions Publication of 20 Children’s Literature

Summary: Nigerian acclaimed author, Lola Shoneyin, has championed the publication of 20 high-quality children’s books. The initiative brought together 24 young Nigerian writers and illustrators across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria under the project the Nigerian Picture Book Project.

Acclaimed Nigerian author Lola Shoneyin championed the publication of 20 high-quality children’s books. The books were unveiled on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, during the Abuja Festival of Literature and Ideas.

Spearheaded by her NGO, Book Buzz Foundation, the initiative brought together 24 young Nigerian writers and illustrators from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones under the Nigerian Picture Book Project. The European Union and Sterling Bank supported it. Participants were mentored and trained intensively for three months, then paired across regions to create high-quality stories for children aged four to nine. They produced more than 30,000 copies to distribute directly to public schools, rural libraries, and book festivals across Nigeria.

“I had the honour of working with talented writers and illustrators from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. I trained the writers for 12 weeks and edited their stories with my OuidaBooks team,” Lola said on her LinkedIn page.

She continued that the books are meant to entertain, enrich, educate, and remind Nigerian children that they deserve to see themselves in the books they read. Among the authors is Nana Sule, who wrote Adeji and the Garden Eggs. She also wrote Not So Terrible People, a collection of 11 short stories that explores complex human nature, women’s rights, and Islamic mythology.

The twenty titles are: Ariyo and the Spelling Tree, Etefolo and the Goat Thief, Talatu and the Desert Sates, Amaka and the Ants, No More Wet Sheets, What About the Boys, Okon Can’t Dance, Bakura’s Big Mistake, Dark Enough to Dance, Who Took My Akara, Oyin and the Special Marks, Adeji and the Garden Eggs, Maimuna Waits for Water, Awero Saves the Market Day, When the Bulldozers Came, Mmesoma and the Big Gully, Wheels of Sunshine, Emike and the Idu Mask, Ewatomi and the Magic Loom, and Rub and Shine.