When Rovingheights cofounder Tobi Eyinade asked me if Open Country Mag could publish their annual list of bestselling titles, which they shared every December on Instagram, and we proposed instead that it become a formal collaboration, it was obvious that we had on our hands a game-changing project — one long overdue even in an underdeveloped industry like ours. The Rovingheights Best Seller List: Presented with Open Country Mag debuted in February 2023, as Nigeria’s first-ever formal best seller list: after more than a century since Nigerians began publishing books in the country. Rovingheights is the country’s biggest book store and, with Open Country Mag’s presentation and analysis and crosschecking, their data is a reliable bellwether of not only what we are reading but also why. (The list does not yet include direct sales from publishers or other bookstores, and it is safe to assume that books on the list have more overall sales in the country.)
As with last year, the data throws up a few surprises. Nigerians are buying books: not as much as we’d love them to, given the deteriorated economy, but they are, and they are buying more nonfiction than fiction. They are buying biographies and memoirs, with books on billionaires Mike Adenuga and Elon Musk and books by celebrities Viola Davis and Prince Harry, and are paying attention to politics, with journalists Simon Kolawole’s Fellow Nigerians, It’s All Politics (No. 7 in Nonfiction; No. 20 in Top 100) and David Hundeyin’s The Jungle ranking here (No. 14 in Nonfiction; No. 34 in Top 100), and are following technology, with the quartet of Henry A. Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher almost taking the top spot with The Age of AI.
Nonfiction’s dominance extends beyond traditional publishing: all but five books in the 50-book Self-published category are nonfiction. And the Nonfiction category is dominated by self-published books as well. Ultimately, the No. 1 book in Nonfiction is also the No. 1 in Self-Published, a political book by a bureaucrat: Hadiza Bala Usman’s Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority. It is worth noting that there are only maybe one or two Nigerian literary writers with books that are arguably creative nonfiction who made this category. A major systemic gap.
One gratifying development this year is that a cultural sensation that has nothing to do with books actually led to book sales: chef Hilda Baci’s popular run to a Guinness World Record for Longest Cooking Marathon, and the subsequent world record-mania in the country, pushed Guinness World Records 2023 onto the list (No. 35 in Nonfiction; No. 78 in Top 100). Another development, superstar actress Genevieve Nnaji’s film adaptation after a five-year hiatus, would account for the high placement of Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s I Do Not Come to You by Chance (No. 10 in Fiction; No. 16 in Top 100).
On the more predictable end, many of last year’s top sellers retain their spots, moving both higher and lower. On the inaugural list, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was the only author to log four books; this year, her entire catalogue of seven books lands in the Top 100, four of them in the top 30, led, surprisingly, by Purple Hibiscus (No. 6 in Top 100; No. 3 in Fiction), a book that has not had the most boost in the last few years compared to her other titles, even as it remained her widest read courtesy of school reading lists. When word of mouth goes up against splashy marketing, word of mouth always wins, and that would account for the steady rise on this list of Aiwanose Odafen’s Tomorrow I Become a Woman (No. 12 in Top 100; No. 6 in Fiction).
In the Fiction category, there is a loud gender shift: there is only one male-authored book in the top 10, only three male-authored books in the top 20, and only four male-authored books in the top 30, with two of them by one person: Chimeka Garricks. Part of it is down to sheer numbers: there are more women in the literary scene than men, and, as a result, there are more visible books by women — even as this disbalance is the opposite in literary culture criticism.
Poetry, still the lowest selling category, yields to Umar Abubakar Sidi, who takes the top two spots with Poet of Dust (No. 1) and Like Butterflies Scattered About by Art Rascals (No. 2), although in No. 3 is last year’s category-topper Dami Ajayi’s Affection & Other Accidents.
For the second year running, a woman crowns the Top 100: a new entrant surging past last year’s title holder Damilare Kuku’s Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad (No. 3 in Top 100; No. 2 in Fiction) and beating novelist Ayobami Adebayo’s A Spell of Good Things (No. 2 in Top 100; No. 1 in Fiction).
The seeming impressiveness of her achievement — she did it with a self-published book, which might have been better off traditionally published; it is the first time that the top-selling book of year managed to be No. 1 in two other categories, Nonfiction and Self-Published; she is from the north of the country, a region that is historically disadvantaged, and whose women have been even more so, in Western education — is outweighed by her prominent citizen status. It is Hadiza Bala Usman, with 1,206 copies sold of Stepping on Toes, an account of her five years as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
When a public official — and there are several — dominates a list of bestselling books in a country where literature is strangled and education underfunded and journalists hunted, when said official’s book chronicles a tenure beset by allegations of corruption and consequent suspension, when her category of nonfiction on this list includes only one or two literary writers because writers have become too scared to write reality and speak up, then it casts the most contentious issue in Nigerian literature in the last decade — the incursion of politics into literature — in even more depressing light.
But it is World Book Day and we must celebrate books.
— Otosirieze, Editor of Open Country Mag
Independently Published: books that have no credited or reported publisher or distributor.
Released via: books that have no formal publisher but are printed and distributed by a publisher.
The Top-selling Nonfiction Books
Rank. Book, Author(s), Publisher
50. Of This Our Country, Various Authors, Ouida Books.
49. An Unusual Biography: Wale Adenuga, Atim Nkese Nkpubre & Niran Adedokun, Narrative Landscape Press.
48. Power, Politics & Death, Olusegun Adeniyi.
47. The Arc of the Possible, Waziri Adio, Cable Books.
46. When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi, Vintage.
45. Beyond the Story: 10 Year Record of BTS, BTS & Myeongseok Kang, Macmillan.
44. Take Note: Real Life Lessons, Toni Tone, Fourth Estate.
43. Mindset, Carol Dweck, Robinson.
42. Zero to One, Peter Thiel, Virgin Books.
41. Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson, Simon & Schuster UK.
40. Greener Pasture, Muneer Yaqub, Independently Published.
39. Born a Crime, Trevor Noah, John Murray.
38. The Handkerchief, Okoh Aihe, Adebayo Bodunrin, Christopher Ebuetse, Ayo Ogundele, & Johnson Onime, Independently Published.
37. The 4 Disciplines of Execution, Sean Covey, Simon & Schuster UK.
36. In Pursuit of the One, Tolulope Oludapo, Released via Publishplug.
35. Guinness World Records 2023, Guinness World Records, Guinness World Records Limited.
34. Nigeria’s Soldiers of Fortune: The Abacha and Obasanjo Years, Max Siollun, C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd.
33. Lagos: Supernatural City, Tim Cocks, C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd.
32. Becoming Nigerian, Elnathan John, Cassava Republic.
31. Dis Life No Balance, Farooq Moses Osmund, Farooq Kperogi, Moses Ochonu, & Osmund Agbo, Independently Published.
30. Ikigai, Héctor García & Francesc Miralles, Hutchinson.
29. Let Your Business Flourish Like a Palm Tree, Stella Adebayo, Independently Published.
28. How to Sell to Nigerians, Akin Alabi, Independently Published.
27. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey, Simon & Schuster UK.
26. Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek, Penguin.
25. We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Press.
24. What Britain Did to Nigeria, Max Siollun, C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd.
23. Lead to Win, Carla Harris, Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
22. Economic Diversification in Nigeria, Zainab Usman, Zed Books.
21. Soldiers of Fortune, Max Siollun, Cassava Republic Press.
20. Finding Me, Viola Davis, Coronet.
19. Small Business Big Money, Akin Alabi, Independently Published.
18. Dear Ijeawele: A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Press.
17. No Bullshit Guide to Business, Joy Akosa Eghebi, Independently Published.
16. Notes on Grief, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Press.
15. Start with Why, Simon Sinek, Penguin.
14. The Jungle, David Hundeyin, Abibiman Publishing.
13. My Entrepreneurship Journey, Austin Avuru, Released via Radi8.
12. Spare, Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex, Bantam.
11. The Business Owner Daily Planner, Joy Akosa Eghebi, Independently Published.
10. Disruption, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Released via Almara Publishers.
9. The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel, Harriman House.
8. Reclaiming the Jewel of Africa, Olusegun Aganga, Released via Practical Inspiration Publishing.
7. Fellow Nigerians, It’s All Politics, Simon Kolawole, Released via Cable Books.
6. The Light We Carry, Michelle Obama, Viking.
5. Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Released via RedDoor Press.
4. Atomic Habits, James Clear, Avery.
3. Vantage, Olumide Soyombo, Released via BGX Publishing.
2. The Age of AI, Henry A. Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, & Daniel Huttenlocher, John Murray.
1. Stepping on Toes, Hadiza Bala Usman, Released via Cable Books.
SHOP THE NONFICTION LIST VIA ROVINGHEIGHTS
The Top-selling Fiction Books
Rank. Book, Author(s), Publisher
50. Welcome to Lagos, Chibundu Onuzo, Narrative Landscape Press.
49. Dele Weds Destiny, Tomi Obaro, Hodder & Stoughton.
48. Too Late, Colleen Hoover, Sphere.
47. Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi, Macmillan Children’s Books.
46. Ogadinma, or Everything Will Be Alright, Ukamaka Olisakwe, Masobe Books.
45. In Every Mirror She’s Black, Lola Akinmade Akerstrom, Parresia.
44. Odufa, Othuke Ominiabohs, Masobe Books.
43. And the Mountains Echoed, Khaled Hosseini, Bloomsbury Publishing.
42. Daughter in Exile, Bisi Adjapon, Ouida Books.
41. The Fishermen, Chigozie Obioma, Cassava Republic.
40. Sanya, Oyin Olugbile, Masobe Books.
39. Love in Colour, Bolu Babalola, Headline.
38. It Starts with Us, Colleen Hoover, Simon & Schuster UK.
37. A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara, Picador.
36. My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Narrative Landscape Press.
35. Born on a Tuesday, Elnathan John, Cassava Republic.
34. A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini, Bloomsbury Publishing.
33. The Widow Who Died with Flowers in Her Mouth, Obinna Udenwe, Masobe Books.
32. The Three of Us, Ore Agbaje-Williams, Masobe Books.
31. His Only Wife, Peace Adzo Medie, Parresia.
30. The List, Yomi Adegoke, Masobe Books.
29. What Happened to Janet Uzor, Miracle Emeka-Nkwor, Masobe Books.
28. The Death of Vivek Oji, Akwaeke Emezi, Farafina.
27. Butter Honey Pig Bread, Francesca Ekwuyasi, Ouida Books.
26. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Simon & Schuster UK.
25. Tomorrow Died Yesterday, Chimeka Garricks, Paperworth Books.
24. Daughters Who Walk This Path, Yejide Kilanko, Farafina.
23. Vagabonds, Eloghosa Osunde, Farafina.
22. It Ends with Us, Colleen Hoover, Simon & Schuster UK.
21. The Nigerwife, Vanessa Walters, Masobe Books.
20. Bridges Are for Burning, Bina Idonije, Masobe Books.
19. The Mechanics of Yenagoa, Michael Afenfia, Masobe Books.
18. Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Press.
17. When We Were Fireflies, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Masobe Books.
16. The Thing Around Your Neck, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Press.
15. Wahala, Nikki May, Narrative Landscape Press.
14. Who Drove Nearly All Lagos Men Mad?, Ugochukwu Ugonna, Agbalumo Publishing.
13. Honey and Spice, Bolu Babalola, Headline Review.
12. The Middle Daughter, Chika Unigwe, Masobe Books.
11. The Girl with the Louding Voice, Abi Daré, Ouida Books.
10. I Do Not Come to You by Chance, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, Masobe Books.
9. Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Press.
8. Stay with Me, Ayobami Adebayo, Ouida Books.
7. Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, Narrative Landscape Press.
6. Tomorrow I Become a Woman, Aiwanose Odafen, Simon & Schuster & Ouida Books.
5. A Broken People’s Playlist, Chimeka Garricks, Masobe Books.
4. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Lola Shoneyin, Cassava Republic.
3. Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Press.
2. Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad, Damilare Kuku, Masobe Books.
1. A Spell of Good Things, Ayobami Adebayo, Ouida Books.
SHOP THE FICTION LIST VIA ROVINGHEIGHTS
The Top-selling Poetry Books
Rank. Book, Author(s), Publisher
12. Funny Men Cannot Be Trusted, Tolu’ Akinyemi, Heart of Words UK.
11. The Ashes Have Their Own Stories, Ayomide Fasedu, Independently Published.
10. Nka, Nwachukwu Egbunike, Winepress Publishing.
9. Rose Ash, Samuel A. Adeyemi, Independently Published.
8. On Attending My Own Wake & Other Episodes, Aduke Gomez, Bookcraft Africa.
7. LVOE: Poems, Epigrams & Aphorisms, Atticus, Headline.
6. Milk and Honey, Rupi Kaur, Andrews McMeel Publishing.
5. Homebody, Rupi Kaur, Simon & Schuster UK.
4. This is How We Disappear, Titilope Sonuga, Write Bloody North.
3. Affection & Other Accidents, Dami Ajayi, Released via Radi8.
2. Like Butterflies Scattered About by Art Rascals, Umar Abubakar Sidi, Masobe Books.
1. Poet of Dust, Umar Abubakar Sidi, Masobe Books.
SHOP THE POETRY LIST VIA ROVINGHEIGHTS
The Top-selling Children’s Books
Rank. Book, Author(s), Publisher
15. A Is for Africa, Louisa Olafuyi, Kunda Kids.
14. Mansa Musa Builds a School, Louisa Olafuyi, Kunda Kids.
13. You Can Do It, Marcus Rashford, Macmillan Children’s Books.
12. King Alboury Cooks the Best Jollof, Sokhna Ndiaye, Kunda Kids.
11. Emeka’s Money, Onyinye Ough, Independently Published.
10. Queen Kitami Makes Friends, Oladele Olafuyi, Kunda Kids.
9. Early Coding for Kids: Level One, David Ogunshola, Independently Published.
8. Queen Moremi Makes a Promise, Ayo Oyeku, Kunda Kids.
7. Sulwe, Lupita Nyong’o & Vashti Harrison, Narrative Landscape Press.
6. Jummy at the River School, Sabine Adeyinka, Masobe Books.
5. Marcus Rashford: You Are a Champion, Marcus Rashford, Macmillan Children’s Books.
4. Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun, Tolá Okogwu, Masobe Books.
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer, Jeff Kinney, Harry N. Abrams.
2. No! Don’t Touch Me There, Nomthi Odukoya, Grace Springs Africa Publishers.
1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Overlode, Jeff Kinney, Harry N. Abrams.
SHOP THE CHILDREN’S BOOKS LIST VIA ROVINGHEIGHTS
The Top-selling Self-published Books
Rank. Book, Author(s), Publisher
50. Werk by Faith, Rita Olucho Obi, Non-Fiction, Released via Tellwell Talent.
49. The Art of Argument, Tosin Adeoti, Non-Fiction.
48. Emeka’s Money, Onyinye Ough, Children’s Book.
47. Dear Leader, Sam Adeyemi, Non-Fiction.
46. Acts of the Holy Spirit: Vol. 2, Olajumoke Adenowo, Non-Fiction.
45. Acts of the Holy Spirit: Vol. 1, Olajumoke Adenowo, Non-Fiction.
44. Show Up, Tolu Michaels, Non-Fiction.
43. Let’s Talk About Your Money, Kalu A. Aja, Non-Fiction.
42. How We Destroy Nigeria: Precedence of Doom, John Walker Adetunji-Adeoye, Non-Fiction, Released via Ascology Ltd.
41. A Carnage Before Dawn, Ayomide Akinbode, Fiction, Released via Daneli Herald Communications.
40. Early Coding for Kids: Level One, David Ogunshola, Children’s Book.
39. Risk and Return, Yomi Jemibewon, Non-Fiction.
38. Pillars of Statecraft, Kofo Obasanjo-Blackshire, Non-Fiction, Released via Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.
37. Ironsi: Nigeria, the Army, Power and Politics, Chuks Iloegbunam, Non-Fiction.
36. I For Don Blow but I Too Dey Press Phone, Hymar David, Non-Fiction, Released via Blazing Family.
35. Nigerians: A Self-Organising People, Andrew S. Nevin, Uma Kymal, Seyi Agbedana, Peter Nigel Cameron, & Rufai Oseni, Non-Fiction.
34 The Unending Quest for Reform, Tunji Olaopa, Non-Fiction, Released via Pan-African University Press.
33. Just in Four Years, Yomi Akinfesoye, Non-Fiction, Released via Tryspect Solutions.
32. Woman as God Intended, Olajumoke Adenowo, Non-Fiction.
31. The Bead Collector, Sefi Atta, Fiction.
30. Getting Mentorship Right, Bob Alonge & Samuel Ekundayo, Non-Fiction, Released via S & B Ekundayo Limited.
29. How We Destroy Nigeria: Haven for Financial Crimes and Corruption, John Walker Adetunji-Adeoye, Non-Fiction, Released via Ascology Ltd.
28. Everything Good Will Come, Sefi Atta, Fiction.
27. Cyber Politics, Omoniyi P. Ibietan, Non-Fiction, Released via Premium Times Books.
26. Purpose in Crisis, Samuel Ekundayo, Non-Fiction, Released via S & B Ekundayo Limited.
25. Your Problem Is That You’re Multi-talented, Samuel Ekundayo, Non-Fiction, Released via S & B Ekundayo Limited.
24. In the Long Run: The Great Race Fiasco, Enefiok Udo-Obong, Non-Fiction.
23. Unleash: The Blueprint for a Life That Attracts Uncommon Opportunities, Topsy Kola-Oyeneyin, Non-Fiction, Released via Venia Publishing.
22. No! Don’t Touch Me There, Nomthi Odukoya, Children’s Book, Released via Grace Springs Africa Publishers.
21. Stripped, Solape Akinpelu, Non-Fiction, Released via Masobe Books.
20. An Unusual Biography: Wale Adenuga, Atim Nkese Nkpubre & Niran Adedokun, Non-Fiction, Released via Narrative Landscape Press.
19. Power, Politics & Death, Olusegun Adeniyi, Non-Fiction.
18. The Arc of the Possible, Waziri Adio, Non-Fiction, Released via Cable Books.
17. Wives Are for Rainy Days, Side Chicks Are for Best Days, Chioma Rosemary Madumere, Fiction, Released via Palmwine Publishing.
16. Greener Pasture, Muneer Yaqub, Non-Fiction.
15. The Handkerchief, Okoh Aihe, Adebayo Bodunrin, Christopher Ebuetse, Ayo Ogundele, & Johnson Onime, Non-Fiction.
14. In Pursuit of the One, Tolulope Oludapo, Non-Fiction, Released via Publishplug.
13. Dis Life No Balance, Farooq Moses Osmund, Farooq Kperogi, Moses Ochonu, & Osmund Agbo, Non-Fiction.
12. Let Your Business Flourish Like a Palm Tree, Stella Adebayo, Non-Fiction.
11. How to Sell to Nigerians, Akin Alabi, Non-Fiction.
10. Small Business Big Money, Akin Alabi, Non-Fiction.
9. No Bullshit Guide to Business, Joy Akosa Eghebi, Non-Fiction.
8. My Entrepreneurship Journey, Austin Avuru, Non-Fiction, Released via Radi8.
7. The Business Owner Daily Planner, Joy Akosa Eghebi, Non-Fiction.
6. Disruption, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Non-Fiction, Released via Almara Publishers.
5. Reclaiming the Jewel of Africa, Olusegun Aganga, Non-Fiction, Released via Practical Inspiration Publishing.
4. Fellow Nigerians, It’s All Politics, Simon Kolawole, Non-Fiction, Released via Cable Books.
3. Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Non-Fiction, Released via Red Door Press.
2. Vantage, Olumide Soyombo, Non-Fiction, Released via BGX Publishing.
1. Stepping on Toes, Hadiza Bala Usman, Non-Fiction, Released via Cable Books.
SHOP THE SELF-PUBLISHED LIST VIA ROVINGHEIGHTS
The 100 Top-selling Books of 2023
Rank. Book, Author(s), Publisher
100. For What Are Butterflies Without Their Wings, Troy Onyango, Fiction, Masobe Books.
99. The Arc of the Possible, Waziri Adio, Non-Fiction, Cable Books.
98. When Breath Become Air, Paul Kalanithi, Non-Fiction, Vintage.
97. Beyond the Story: 10 Year Record of BTS, BTS and Myeongseok Kang, Macmillan.
96. Take Note: Real Life Lessons, Toni Tone, Non-Fiction, Fourth Estate.
95. Wives Are for Rainy Days, Side Chicks Are for Best Days, Chioma Rosemary Madumere, Fiction, Palmwine Publishing.
94. Mindset, Carol Dweck, Non-Fiction, Robinson.
93. Welcome to Lagos, Chibundu Onuzo, Fiction, Narrative Landscape Press.
92. Zero to One, Peter Thiel, Non-Fiction, Virgin Books
91. Dele Weds Destiny, Tomi Obaro, Fiction, Hodder & Stoughton.
90. Too Late, Colleen Hoover, Fiction, Sphere.
89. Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson, Non-Fiction, Simon & Schuster UK.
88. Greener Pasture, Muneer Yaqub, Non-Fiction, Independently Published.
87. Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi, Fiction, Macmillan Children’s Books.
86. Ogadinma, or Everything Will Be Alright, Ukamaka Olisakwe, Fiction, Masobe Books.
85. In Every Mirror She’s Black, Lola Akinmade Akerstrom, Fiction, Parresia.
84. Born a Crime, Trevor Noah, Non-Fiction, John Murray.
83. The Handkerchief, Okoh Aihe, Adebayo Bodunrin, Christopher Ebuetse, Ayo Ogundele, & Johnson Onime, Non-Fiction, Independently Published.
82. Odufa, Othuke Ominiabohs, Fiction, Masobe Books.
81. The 4 Disciplines of Execution, Sean Covey, Non-Fiction, Simon & Schuster UK.
80. And the Mountains Echoed, Khaled Hosseini, Fiction, Bloomsbury Publishing.
79. In Pursuit of the One, Tolulope Oludapo, Non-Fiction, Released via Publishplug.
78. Guinness World Records 2023, Guinness World Records, Non-Fiction, Guinness World Records Limited.
77. Nigeria’s Soldiers of Fortune: The Abacha and Obasanjo Years, Max Siollun, Non-Fiction, C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd.
76. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Overlode, Jeff Kinney, Children, Harry N. Abrams.
75. Lagos: Supernatural City, Tim Cocks, Non-Fiction, C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd.
74. Daughter in Exile, Bisi Adjapon, Fiction, Ouida Books.
73. Becoming Nigerian, Elnathan John, Non-Fiction, Cassava Republic.
72. The Fishermen, Chigozie Obioma, Fiction, Cassava Republic.
71. Dis Life No Balance, Farooq Moses Osmund, Farooq Kperogi, Moses Ochonu, & Osmund Agbo, Non-Fiction, Independently Published.
70. Sanya, Oyin Olugbile, Fiction, Masobe Books.
69. Ikigai, Héctor García & Francesc Miralles, Non-Fiction, Hutchinson.
68. How to Sell to Nigerians, Akin Alabi, Non-Fiction, Independently Published.
67. Let Your Business Flourish Like a Palm Tree, Stella Adebayo, Non-Fiction, Independently Published.
66. Love in Colour, Bolu Babalola, Fiction, Headline.
65. It Starts with Us, Colleen Hoover, Fiction, Simon & Schuster UK.
64. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey, Non-Fiction, Simon & Schuster UK.
63. Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek, Non-Fiction, Penguin.
62. We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Non-Fiction, Narrative Landscape Press.
61 A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara, Fiction, Picador.
60. My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Fiction, Narrative Landscape Press.
59. What Britain Did to Nigeria, Max Siollun, Non-Fiction, C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd.
58. Born on a Tuesday, Elnathan John, Fiction, Cassava Republic.
57. Lead to Win, Carla Harris, Non-Fiction, Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
56. Economic Diversification in Nigeria, Zainab Usman, Non-Fiction, Zed Books.
55. A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini, Fiction, Bloomsbury Publishing.
54. The Widow Who Died with Flowers in Her Mouth, Obinna Udenwe, Fiction, Masobe Books.
53. Soldiers of Fortune, Max Siollun, Non-Fiction, Cassava Republic Press.
52. The Three of Us, Ore Agbaje-Williams, Fiction, Masobe Books.
51. His Only Wife, Peace Adzo Medie, Fiction, Parresia.
50. The List, Yomi Adegoke, Fiction, Masobe Books.
49. What Happened to Janet Uzor, Miracle Emeka-Nkwor, Fiction, Masobe Books.
48. The Death of Vivek Oji, Akwaeke Emezi, Fiction, Farafina.
47. Butter Honey Pig Bread, Francesca Ekwuyasi, Fiction, Ouida Books.
46. Finding Me, Viola Davis, Non-Fiction, Coronet.
45. Small Business Big Money, Akin Alabi, Non-Fiction, Independently Published.
44. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Fiction, Simon & Schuster UK.
43. Tomorrow Died Yesterday, Chimeka Garricks, Fiction, Paperworth Books.
42. Dear Ijeawele: A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Non-Fiction, Narrative Landscape Press.
41. Daughters Who Walk This Path, Yejide Kilanko, Fiction, Farafina.
40. Vagabonds, Eloghosa Osunde, Fiction, Farafina.
39. No Bullshit Guide to Business, Joy Akosa Eghebi, Non-Fiction, Independently Published.
38. Notes on Grief, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Non-Fiction, Narrative Landscape Press.
37. It Ends with Us, Colleen Hoover, Fiction, Simon & Schuster UK.
36. Start with Why, Simon Sinek, Non-Fiction, Penguin.
35. The Nigerwife, Vanessa Walters, Fiction, Masobe Books.
34. The Jungle, David Hundeyin, Non-Fiction, Abibiman Publishing.
33. Bridges Are for Burning, Bina Idonije, Fiction, Masobe Books.
32. My Entrepreneurship Journey, Austin Avuru, Non-Fiction, Released via Radi8.
31. The Mechanics of Yenagoa, Michael Afenfia, Fiction, Masobe Books.
30. Spare, Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex, Non-Fiction, Bantam.
29. Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Fiction, Narrative Landscape Press.
28. When We Were Fireflies, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Fiction, Masobe Books.
27. The Thing Around Your Neck, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Fiction, Narrative Landscape Press.
26. The Business Owner Daily Planner, Joy Akosa Eghebi, Non-Fiction, Independently Published.
25. Wahala, Nikki May, Fiction, Narrative Landscape Press.
24. Disruption, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Non-Fiction, Released via Almara Publishers.
23. The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel, Non-Fiction, Harriman House.
22. Reclaiming the Jewel of Africa, Olusegun Aganga, Non-Fiction, Released via Practical Inspiration Publishing.
21. Who Drove Nearly All Lagos Men Mad?, Ugochukwu Ugonna, Fiction, Agbalumo Publishing.
20. Fellow Nigerians, It’s All Politics, Simon Kolawole, Non-Fiction, Released via Cable Books.
19. Honey and Spice, Bolu Babalola, Fiction, Headline Review.
18. The Middle Daughter, Chika Unigwe, Fiction, Masobe Books.
17. The Girl with the Louding Voice, Abi Daré, Fiction, Ouida Books.
16. I Do Not Come to You by Chance, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, Fiction, Masobe Books.
15. Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Fiction, Narrative Landscape Press.
14. Stay with Me, Ayobami Adebayo, Fiction, Ouida Books.
13. Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, Fiction, Narrative Landscape Press.
12. Tomorrow I Become a Woman, Aiwanose Odafen, Fiction, Simon & Schuster & Ouida Books.
11. The Light We Carry, Michelle Obama, Non-Fiction, Viking.
10. A Broken People’s Playlist, Chimeka Garricks, Fiction, Masobe Books.
9. Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Non-Fiction, Released via Red Door Press.
8. Atomic Habits, James Clear, Non-Fiction, Avery.
7. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Lola Shoneyin, Fiction, Cassava Republic.
6. Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Fiction, Narrative Landscape Press.
5. Vantage, Olumide Soyombo, Non-Fiction, Released via BGX Publishing.
4. The Age of AI, Henry A. Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, & Daniel Huttenlocher, Non-Fiction, John Murray.
3. Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad, Damilare Kuku, Fiction, Masobe Books.
2. A Spell of Good Things, Ayobami Adebayo, Fiction, Ouida Books.
1. Stepping on Toes, Hadiza Bala Usman, Non-Fiction, Released via Cable Books.
SHOP THE TOP 100 LIST VIA ROVINGHEIGHTS
CORRECTION: Affection & Other Accidents by Dami Ajayi is released via Radi8, not independently published as previously stated.
The Rovingheights Bestseller List: Presented with Open Country Mag
— The 2022 Bestseller List
Rovingheights Pre-List Data
— 2020
— 2021 for fiction and nonfiction
For enquiries, please email tobi.eyinade@rovingheights.com and editors@opencountrymag.com.