Cassava Republic to publish Feyi Fawehinmi and Fola Fagbule’s book on Nigeria’s creation

Feyi Fawehinmi, a renowned writer cum accountant, and Fola Fagbule, a banker, have authored ‘Formation’, a book detailing the creation of Nigeria — between 1804 and 1914.

In a statement on Monday, Cassava Republic Press also announced that it has acquired world rights to publish the non-fiction book.

The publishing company said the book will be published in Nigeria in October, 2020. It added that it will also be published in the UK and US respectively in spring 2021.

According to the statement, the book’s publication would not only commemorate Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary by October but also amplify calls for reawakening of black people’s origin across the globe.

“Coming on the 60th anniversary of the end of formal colonial rule in Nigeria, ‘Formation’ arrives at a critical time when the world is reawakening to the struggles of Black people and exploring the histories of these struggles,” the statement read.

“This book grounds these struggles, guiding readers into the 19th century events of Africa’s most populous country where the terms of trade were disproportionately calculated in human currency, creating an environment of deep-seated mistrust, animosity and a universally morbid and hard to dislodge political economy.”

Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, publishing director at Cassava Republic Press, said the book would aptly capture the untold intrigues that characterised the formation of Nigeria.

“I have been wanting to a read a book that tells the story of how a collection of nations came together to form the single unit now known as Nigeria. Two unlikely financial buffs, Feyi and Fola, have delivered that volume with rigour, rare honesty, and astute and impartial observation,” he said.

“When you have dare-devil jihadists on one side, mad missionaries on the other, proud, stubborn and warring natives in the middle; suddenly the craziness, sheer audacity and some might say, arrogance of Nigerians starts to make sense. I cannot wait to share this accessible, timely and must-read book with everyone.”

On their part, the authors of the book expressed optimism that the book would chart a new course forward in discussing how Nigeria came into being.

“We are delighted to be working with Cassava Republic on retelling the origin story of Nigeria, for the benefit of a younger, more modern audience,” they said.

“Our deepest hope is that Formation will begin the process of stimulating a fact-based, dispassionate, and non-judgemental national conversation about how Nigeria came to be. In the process, we hope that a younger generation of readers will come to terms with the reality and character of this complex nation of over 180million people.”