Author explores Lagos in new book ' Baron of Broad Street'

The Lagos story is one that fascinates and intrigues many despite negative reportage by the media. Lagos,  as always serves as muse for writers, poets and author's who no doubt have been lured by its irresistible charms.

With two 'Lagos' novels, which clearly focus on the various shades of life in the city to his credit, El Nukoya, no doubt, comes across as one writer that is wholly committed to aspects of the city's character that are unknown to even many of its residents.

Explaining why he appears to be fixated on the Lagos narrative, in an interview with The Punch, El Nukoya says, "I think that Lagos is one of the most unique cities in the world. I say this without any fear of contradiction. I have been to a few other big cities in different parts of the world. Most of them have character, but none is comparable to Lagos in terms of population, climate, energy and more.

"By virtue of what the city stands for historically, it infuses a certain amount of energy in the residents and visitors alike. This energy is what emboldens and inspires them to believe they can achieve impossible goals. It explains why some people arrive from a rural community and the moment they enter Lagos, they begin to think that they can accomplish whatever they aspire to achieve.

"This energy is one of the things that I find to be compelling about Lagos. It is a double-edged sword that needs to be utilised properly. We have these youths who are either born in Lagos or come to settle in the city. The moment they feel this energy, they begin to think that they can do or become the impossible. But sometimes, without enough legitimate avenues to plug into, they are compelled to rely on their natural talents to fulfil their dreams.

"Among the people that flock to Lagos every day in search of opportunities, there are those who have the capacity to discover a cure for the dreaded HIV/AIDS virus. There are others that also have the capacity to take us to the moon or build the long-awaited Nigerian car. But we have to provide the enabling environment for such people to achieve their goals. It is in our best interest as a nation to do so."

Although the author's new book, entitled Baron of Broad Street, approaches the Lagos narrative in a similar manner, it is not by any means a sequel to his first and award-winning novel, Nine Lives.