From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Sun Newspapers Correspondent in Kaduna, Mr Noah Ebije has attributed the inspiration for his two newly published literature books; a Poetry collection and a Play to his rural upbringing and lived experiences in communities grappling with hardship in present-day Kogi State.
Ebije made this known at the launch of the books during the peak of the 2025 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Chapter, held on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
Speaking at the event, Ebije recounted growing up in a remote rural settlement in the late 1960s and early 1970s, where basic amenities such as health centres, motorable roads, electricity and clean drinking water were nonexistent.
Raised on traditional herbs and cereal-based foods, he said farming, hunting and crafts defined daily life, while evenings were spent listening to folktales by moonlight.
According to the author, his poetry collection draws heavily from these formative years, particularly his childhood experiences working on palm and plantain plantations close to the village, in contrast to the more strenuous farming in distant hinterlands.
He explained that this experience mirrored his academic journey, where he excelled in Literature in English but struggled with conventional English language studies, hence the meeting point of poetry and plantain plantations.
“Poetry, like plantain plantations, came naturally to me. The book reflects the simplicity, rhythm and imagery of rural life that shaped my worldview,” he said.
His second book, a play titled Mosquitoes Sucked Their Blood for Five Years, was inspired by the ordeal of secondary school boarding students who studied in a mosquito-infested environment between the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Ebije recalled that the school was located near a forested area, exposing students to persistent mosquito bites and recurrent malaria infections, often forcing them to seek treatment at distant primary health centres at the expenses of their academic works.
Reviewing the play, Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Kaduna State Chapter, Stephen Adinoyi, said “Mosquitoes Sucked Their Blood for Five Years” goes beyond a school narrative to showcase a scenario akin to a political situation, where citizens endure prolonged socio-economic hardship.
Adinoyi described the book as a must-read for all Nigerians, noting its strong allegorical relevance and social commentary.
He added that characters in the book reminded one of the George Orwell’s novel, “Animal Farm”, where both animals and humans played the major characters.
The book launch was done in collaboration with the 2025 NUJ Press Week, Kaduna State Council.
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