A year before we began compiling The Rovingheights Bestseller List 2024: Presented with Open Country Mag, Rovingheights co-founder Tobi Eyinade and I agreed that this project, the first formal bestseller list in Nigerian literature, needed expansion: the inclusion of data from other bookstores and, potentially, publishers. We did not do that this year. We also planned to secure a major sponsor: a brand that understood that, no matter how much it invests elsewhere, the future of a society lay in its literacy. The brand in focus did not commit to it. Many in the corporate world present as data-driven, so it is worrying to have to convince one that their sponsorship would not be gainless charity but foresight into purchasing power in a growing book industry. What we have inherited, my generation of literary people, is a poor perception of Nigerian literature that is wholly the industry’s own making. Yet go on we must.
There are no real surprises from the data this year, only a confirmation of what I described in years past: political developments drive book sales. The top six in nonfiction constitute a microcosm of Nigeria: Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System by the lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi (No. 1 in Nonfiction) and Breaking Point by the investigative journalist David Hundeyin (No. 5 in Nonfiction; No. 17 in Top 100) — two major critics of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Muhammadu Buhari administrations — alongside those by the journalist-turned-political aide Femi Adesina and the governor-turned-minister Babatunde Fashola — two notable members of the political bloc behind those presidents. Between them are two books that also appeared on last year’s list: Vantage by the venture capitalist Olumide Soyombo (No. 3 in Nonfiction; No. 9 in Top 100) and Leaving the Tarmac by the veteran banker Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede (No. 4 in Nonfiction; No. 14 in Top 100). The six represent the three most consequential bases of public influence in the country today: the politicians, the activists, and the C-suite. The fourth would have been religion, but it tracks well that, as otherwise vocal Christian ministers have mostly kept silent as the country sinks, book buyers have put their money elsewhere.
Politics is the theme. Farotimi’s other entry, Imperatives of the Nigerian Revolution, misses the Top 50 in Nonfiction and the Top 100 but lands at No. 49 in Self-Distributed and Self-Published. Hundeyin, too, has a second book here, The Jungle (No. 19 in Nonfiction; No. 64 in Top 100), which debuted on the list last year, and two of his targets, the current and past presidents of the country, have books named after them: Adesina’s Working with Buhari (No. 2 in Nonfiction; No. 5 in Top 100) and Sam Omatseye’s Beating All Odds: Diaries and Essays on How Bola Tinubu Became President (No. 20 in Nonfiction; No. 65 in Top 100). But it is another former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who makes the list as an author and with two books: Nzeogwu (No. 37 in Nonfiction; No. 102 overall), his biography of his friend and leader of the first military coup of January 1966, and My Watch (No. 47 in Nonfiction), his autobiography. Obasanjo, Buhari, and Tinubu are three of Nigeria’s five presidents since civilian rule in 1999 — and they are the three brutal ones — and the absence of books on or by the second and third presidents in that sequence, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and his successor Goodluck Jonathan, raises questions whose answers we know. The Yar’Adua and Jonathan presidencies were supposed to be the turning point for Nigeria; are their acolytes so scarred that they still have not tried to tell us, in a loud and consistent way like those of the others, what happened? (Yes, there are books on them, but they aren’t on this list because they are not in the political conversation.)
By their nature, political developments lead book buyers beyond the present and into history. It is why, for the third year running, the historian Max Siollun retains his spots with What Britain Did to Nigeria (No. 12 in Nonfiction; No. 49 in Top 100) and Soldiers of Fortune (No. 26 in Nonfiction; No. 74 in Top 100). Bolstering this trend are two books just outside the Nonfiction Top 50 and the Top 100 but that help illuminate previously mentioned entries: Adewale Ademoyega’s classic Why We Struck (No. 52 in Nonfiction), about the leaders of that first military coup, and Chuks Iloegbunam’s Ironsi: Nigeria, the Army, Power and Politics (No. 53 in Nonfiction), about the country’s first military head of state.
Last year’s overall bestseller Hadiza Bala Usman’s Stepping on Toes slips down (No. 23 in Nonfiction; No. 69 in Top 100), and right behind it is another book that debuted on the list last year: Guinness World Records (No. 25 in Nonfiction; No. 75 in Top 100), perhaps aided this time by the chess master Tunde Onakoya’s record-setting showcase at Times Square, New York City. It brings us to another big question: where are the books explaining Afrobeats’ global run?
The big positive this year came in Poetry, the perennial underseller. The new No. 1, Oyindamola Shoola’s Face Me, I Face You, sold like a novel, besting the two previous years’ toppers combined and becoming the first poetry book to crash the Top 100, at a comfortable No. 45. But the old guard has gone nowhere: 2022 topper Dami Ajayi’s Affection and Other Accidents is No. 2, and Umar Abubakar Sidi, who occupied the top two spots on the 2023 list, holds at No. 5 with The Poet of Dust and No. 9 with Like Butterflies Scattered About By Art Rascals, flanking two books by Rupi Kaur, The Sun and Her Flowers and Milk and Honey. The Indian Canadian Instapoet lodges a third book, at No. 19, with Homebody. Making his debut in the category, at No. 10, is Wole Soyinka, with his Selected Poems 1965-2022: A Retrospective.
Another icon, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, expectedly maintained her statistical lead. For the third year running, she has placed more books on the list than anyone else. For 2022, it was four books. For 2023, it was seven. This year, it is six: Half of a Yellow Sun (No. 23 in Fiction; No. 31 in Top 100), Dear Ijeawele (No. 11 in Nonfiction; No. 41 in Top 100), Mama’s Sleeping Scarf (No. 2 in Children’s Books; No. 46 in Top 100), Notes on Grief (No. 14 in Nonfiction; No. 51 in Top 100), Americanah (No. 35 in Fiction; No. 51 in Top 100), and We Should All Be Feminists (No. 28 in Nonfiction; No. 77 in Top 100). Two of her fiction books missed the list: Purple Hibiscus and The Thing Around Your Neck. Expect them all to return for 2025, when her forthcoming novel Dream Count will, piracy willing, top this list. Star power is a thing: a children’s book with her name in its title also makes the list: Virtually Safe’s The Adventures of Chimamanda and Yusuf (No. 6 in Children’s Books; No. 110 overall).
Something I should have expected: a new monopoly at the top of the Fiction Category. For the second time in three years, actress-cum-writer Damilare Kuku leads the genre, seizing the top two spots with former No. 1 Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad, now at No. 2 (No. 3 in Top 100), and her new book and our new Fiction No. 1: Only Big Bumbum Matters Tomorrow (No. 2 in Top 100). Last year, Kuku’s momentum helped another book onto the list, one that plays on her own title, and that book holds this year: Ugochukwu Ugonna’s Who Drove Nearly All Lagos Men Mad? (No. 39 in Fiction; No. 59 in Top 100). Something I did predict: Aiwanose Odafen climbs the list, reaching just outside the Top 10 with her duology Tomorrow I Become a Woman (No. 11 in Fiction; No. 15 in Top 100) and We Were Girls Once (No. 16 in Fiction; No. 22 in Top 100).
More authors log two books this year: Abi Dare with her New York Times bestsellers And So I Rise (No. 15 in Fiction; No. 21 in the Top 100) and The Girl with the Louding Voice (No. 27 in Fiction; No. 35 in the Top 100); Bolu Babalola with Honey and Spice (No. 37 in Fiction; No. 59 in Top 100) and Love in Colour (No. 50 in Fiction; No. 86 in Top 100); and Lola Akinmade Akerstrom, whose Everything Is Not Enough and In Every Mirror She’s Black tie at No. 45 in Fiction and No. 78 on the Top 100. A non-African novelist is here, too: the Afghan American Khaled Hosseini, with The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, at Nos. 89 and 92 in the Top 100. But the two-book tier is led by Chimeka Garricks, who last year was the only male author in the Top 30 in Fiction, with A Broken People’s Playlist (No. 5 in Fiction; No. 7 in the Top 100) and Tomorrow Died Yesterday (No. 10 in Fiction; No. 13 in the Top 100). The male author with the most presence, though, is Chigozie Obioma, who places all three of his novels: The Fishermen (No. 34 in Fiction; No. 44 in Top 100), and, barely making it to the Top 100, The Road to the Country at No. 97 and An Orchestra of Minorities at No. 100.
Of the debut authors, the highest-ranked is Fatima Bala’s Broken: Not a Halal Story (No. 7 in Fiction; No. 10 in Top 100), but in the mix are two more: Pemi Aguda’s Ghostroots (No. 12 in Fiction; No. 16 in Top 100) and Chukwuebuka Ibeh’s Blessings (No. 18 in Fiction; No. 24 in Top 100).
One pattern holds from last year: the impact of film adaptations. Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s I Do Not Come to You by Chance rises to No. 4 in Fiction and No. 6 in the Top 100, following the film adaptation by producer Genevieve Nnaji and director Ishaya Bako, and just outside the Top 100 is Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us, the source of the American actress Blake Lively film and, now, controversy. One theme prevalent in the Nonfiction Category applies here: a writer-cum-politician, Obinna Udenwe, places a book: The Widow Who Died with Flowers in Her Mouth (No. 51 in Fiction; No. 88 in Top 100).
This year, the Top 100 swings to one genre: fiction. There are 60 fiction books, 35 of them in the Top 50; and 35 nonfiction books, only 13 of them in the Top 50 and three in the Top 10; and four children’s books; and, for the first time in the Top 100, a poetry book, firmly in the Top 50. Yet, for the second year running, the No. 1 book of the year is not only nonfiction but a self-published book, one that in its title reminds us of a central problem: Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System by Dele Farotimi, with 2,159 copies sold.
Farotimi’s ascent is unlike anything that Eyinade and I had seen before. Farotimi’s publicists supplied the book to Rovingheights on August 9, 2024, but it gained little sales in the following few months. And then, in December, Farotimi, a major critic of the Tinubu administration, was abducted from his home in Lagos and bundled across state lines to Ekiti where he was imprisoned. Social media users rallied for him, driving traction for the book. In six days, from December 4 to 10, it sold over 2,000 copies — 93% of its eventual figure. Rovingheights’ website crashed briefly. On December 11, Rovingheights and all book stores marketing the book received a court order demanding that they stop, which halted sales.
Without that intervention, Farotimi would have cruised to a new record: the overall bestselling No. 1 book since the list launched three years ago. Instead, his final 2,159 copies stall behind the 2023 No. 1, Damilare Kuku’s Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad with 2,204 copies, though it keeps ahead of the 2024 No. 1, Hadiza Bala Usman’s Stepping on Toes with 1,206 copies.
Before his abduction, Farotimi was not on track to make the Top 100. That he came close to setting a record is evidence that book-buying is one of the last reliable, conscious ways for Nigerians to protest government oppression, especially when it targets both authors and booksellers. We take it as a triumph of citizen participation.
NOTE: The publishers listed are the suppliers to Rovingheights. Independently Published: books that have no credited or reported publisher or distributor.
Visit Rovingheights website to order the books from anywhere in the world. Open Country Mag may earn a commission.
NONFICTION
RANK. TITLE, AUTHOR, PUBLISHER.
50. The Hero Inside: A Holistic Approach to Life Skills and Values-based Education, Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu, Worital.
49. Shoe Dog, Phil Knight, Simon & Schuster UK.
47. Dare to Lead, Brené Brown, Penguin Publishing.
47. My Watch, Olusegun Obasanjo, Prestige Publisher.
43. Deep Work, Cal Newport, Hachette UK.
43. Formation, Fola Fagbule, Feyi Fawehinmi, Cassava Republic Press.
43. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Sean Covey, Simon & Schuster UK.
43. The Power Of Du’a, Aliyah Umm Raiyaan, Penguin Publishing.
42. Women and Leadership, Julia Gillard and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Penguin Publishing.
41. Small by Small, Ike Anya, Masobe Books.
40. Small Business Big Money, Oloye Akin Alabi, Independent Publisher.
39. In Pursuit of the One, Tolulope Oludapo, Independent Publisher.
38. Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson, Simon & Schuster UK.
37. Nzeogwu, Olusegun Obasanjo, Prestige Publisher.
36. I Am Because We Are, Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr, Safari Books.
35. The Light We Carry, Michelle Obama, Penguin Publishing.
33. Dreams as God’s Love Language, Oti Longe, Independent Publisher.
33. Mele Kyari: Leading Through Chaos, Agbo Agbo and Oghale Ojeaburu, Masobe Books.
32. Outside In: The Power of Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business, Harley Manning, Josh Bernoff, and Kerry Bodine, Amazon Publishing.
31. Living Intentionally Planner, Sinmiloluwa Anyakora, Treasures Signature.
30. Becoming Nigerian, Elnathan John, Cassava Republic Press.
29. My Command, Olusegun Obasanjo, Prestige Publisher.
28. We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
27. What I Know for Sure, Oprah Winfrey, Pan Macmillan.
26. Soldiers of Fortune, Max Siollun, Cassava Republic Press.
25. Guinness World Records 2024, Guinness World Records, Guinness World Records.
23. Oyinbo Karimu, Mariam Bakre, Independent Publisher.
23. Stepping on Toes, Hadiza Bala Usman, Cable Books.
22. The Transformational Leader: The Journey of a Tech Bro Turned CEO, Ademola Adebise, Independent Publisher.
21. My Entrepreneurship Journey, Austin Avuru, Radi8.
20. Beating All Odds: Diaries and Essays on How Bola Tinubu Became President, Sam Omatseye, Independent Publisher.
19. The Jungle, David Hundeyin, Abibiman Publisher.
18. The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel, Harriman House.
17. Start with Why, Simon Sinek, Penguin Publishing.
16. Confident and Killing It, Tiwalola Ogunlesi, HarperCollins Publishers.
15. The Business Owner Daily Planner, Joy Akosa-Eghebi, Independent Publisher.
14. Notes on Grief, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
13. No Bullshit Guide to Business, Joy Akosa-Eghebi, Independent Publisher.
12. What Britain Did to Nigeria, Max Siollun, Hurst Publishers.
11. Dear Ijeawele, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
10. How to Sell to Nigerians, Oloye Akin Alabi, Independent Publisher.
9. Atomic Habits, James Clear, Penguin Publishing.
8. Let’s Talk About Your Money, Kalu Aja, Independent Publisher.
7. An Imperfect Storm, Chikwe Ihekweazu & Vivianne Ihekweazu, Masobe Books.
6. Nigerian Public Discourse, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Quramo Books.
5. Breaking Point, David Hundeyin, Abibiman Publisher.
4. Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Red Door.
3. Vantage, Olumide Soyombo, Independent Publisher.
2. Working with Buhari, Femi Adesina, Safari Books.
1. Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, Dele Farotimi, Independent Publisher.
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POETRY
S/N. TITLE, AUTHOR, PUBLISHER.
19. Pomegranate: Our Love Is Poetry, Etok, Ndianabasi-Agnes, Ace World Publishers.
19. Esu at the Library, Kola Tubosun, Masobe Books.
17. Storms & Calms: A Collection of Mental Health Poetry, Rasheedat Balogun (Arrbee), Independent Publisher.
17. The Voice of Your Village, Sandra Rofem Hitarh, Independent Publisher.
16. Her Head Was a Spider’s Nest, Tolu Akinyemi (Poetolu), Heart of Words UK.
15. All the Names Given, Raymond Antrobus, Pan Macmillan.
14. Because of You, Mariam Shittu, TEBEBA Publisher.
12. Museum of Feelings, Adaeze Nwaokolo, Independent Publisher.
12. Homebody, Rupi Kaur, Simon & Schuster UK.
11. Pickled Moments, Nasiba Babale, Konya Shamsrumi Press.
10. Selected Poems 1965-2022: A Retrospective, Wole Soyinka, Bookcraft Africa.
9. Like Butterflies Scattered About by Art Rascals, Umar Abubakar Sidi, Masobe Books.
8. Milk and Honey, Rupi Kaur, Simon & Schuster (UK).
7. The Mystic of Small Dreams, Romeo Oriogun, Masobe Books.
6. The Sun and Her Flowers, Rupi Kaur, Simon & Schuster (UK).
5. The Poet of Dust, Umar Abubakar Sidi, Masobe Books.
4. The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran, Pan Macmillan.
3. A Little Violence, Seun Lari-Williams, Independent Publisher.
2. Affection and Other Accidents, Dami Ajayi, Independent Publisher.
1. Face Me, I Face You, Oyindamola Shoola, Independent Publisher.
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CHILDREN’S BOOKS
S/N. TITLE, AUTHOR, PUBLISHER.
15. Oliver Twist (AXORA), Charles Dickens, Axora Books.
14. A Bully Is Not a Hero, Nomthi Odukoya, Independent Publisher.
12. Nigeria Heritage Series: Collection 1 – 3, 234Express, Independent Publisher.
12. Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun, Tọlá Okogwu, Masobe Books.
10. Dork Diaries: I Love Paris!, Jeff Kinney, Penguin Publishing.
10. Not Too Young to Run, Ogbu Eme, Independent Publisher.
9. Economics with Uncle Tunde, Babatunde Akin-Moses, Independent Publisher.
8. No! Don’t Touch Me There, Nomthi Odukoya, Independent Publisher.
7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer, Jeff Kinney, Penguin Publishing.
6. The Adventures of Chimamanda and Yusuf, Virtually Safe, Independent Publisher.
5. Journey to Daylight, Tosin Akinniranye, Encounter Ground.
4. Sulwe, Lupita Nyong’o, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
3. My Fruits My Alphabet, Ndidi Chiazor-Enenmor, Walnut Publishing Limited.
2. Mama’s Sleeping Scarf, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
1. Chioma’s Dream, Victoria Okoje, Purplebloom Publishers.
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SELF-DISTRIBUTED AND SELF-PUBLISHED
S/N. TITLE, GENRE, AUTHOR, PUBLISHER.
49. A Bit of Difference, Fiction, Sefi Atta.
49. Imperatives of the Nigerian Revolution, Non-fiction, Dele Farotimi.
48. The Lagos Love Journals: The Ikoyi Princess, Fiction, Layemi O-I.
47. The Lagos Love Journals: The Lekki Bride, Fiction, Layemi O-I.
46. Reclaiming the Jewel of Africa, Non-fiction, Olusegun Aganga, distributed by Practical Inspiration Publishing.
44. Power, Politics & Death, Non-fiction, Olusegun Adeniyi, distributed by Prestige Publisher.
44. The Marriage Class, Fiction, Adesuwa O’Man Nwokedi.
43. Fellow Nigerians, It’s All Politics, Non-fiction, Simon Kolawole, distributed by Cable Books.
42. Africa Rise and Shine, Non-fiction, Jim Ovia, distributed by Forbes Books.
40. Austin Avuru: A Safe Pair of Hands, Non-fiction, Peju Akande and Toni Kan, distributed by RADI8 Limited.
40. Oliver Twist (AXORA), Children’s Literature, Charles Dickens, distributed by Axora Books.
39. Risk and Return, Non-fiction, Yomi Jemibewon.
38. Dreaming of Ways to Understand You, Fiction, Jerry Chiemeke, distributed by MagicWand Publishing.
37. A Bully Is Not a Hero, Children, Nomthi Odukoya.
36. Ironsi: Nigeria, the Army, Power and Politics, Non-fiction, Chuks Iloegbunam.
34. Nigeria Heritage Series: Collection 1 – 3, Children, distributed by 234Express.
34. The Hero Inside: A Holistic Approach to Life Skills and Values-based Education, Non-fiction, Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu, distributed by Worital.
33. The Bead Collector, Fiction, Sefi Atta.
32. Swallow, Fiction, Sefi Atta.
31. My Watch, Non-fiction, Olusegun Obasanjo, distributed by Prestige Publisher.
30. Not Too Young to Run, Children’s Literature, Ogbu Eme.
29. Economics with Uncle Tunde, Children’s Literature, Babatunde Akin-Moses.
28. Unbroken, Fiction, Tosin Enianke Kiyesi, distributed by Winepress Publishing.
27. Small Business Big Money, Non-fiction, Oloye Akin Alabi.
26. No! Don’t Touch Me There, Children’s Literature, Nomthi Odukoya.
25. In Pursuit of the One, Non-fiction, Tolulope Oludapo
24. The Adventures of Chimamanda and Yusuf, Children’s Literature, Virtually Safe.
23. Journey to Daylight, Children, Tosin Akinniranye, distributed by Encounter Ground.
22. Nzeogwu, Non-fiction, Olusegun Obasanjo, distributed by Prestige Publisher.
21. Maitama Linen, Fiction, Shehu Usman Yakubu.
20. Don’t Tell Daddy What Happened in Lagos, Fiction, Yemi Odunfa.
19. Dreams as God’s Love Language, Non-fiction, Oti Longe.
18. Living Intentionally Planner, Non-fiction, Sinmiloluwa Anyakora, distributed by Treasures Signature.
17. My Command, Non-fiction, Olusegun Obasanjo, distributed by Prestige Publisher.
15. Oyinbo Karimu, Non-fiction, Mariam Bakre.
15. Stepping on Toes, Non-fiction, Hadiza Bala Usman, distributed by Cable Books.
14. The Transformational Leader: The Journey of a Tech Bro Turned CEO, Non-fiction, Ademola Adebise.
13. My Entrepreneurship Journey, Non-fiction, Austin Avuru, distributed by Radi8.
12. Beating All Odds: Diaries and Essays on How Bola Tinubu Became President, Non-fiction, Sam Omatseye.
11. My Fruits My Alphabet, Children, Ndidi Chiazor-Enenmor, distributed by Walnut Publishing Limited.
10. The Business Owner Daily Planner, Non-fiction, Joy Akosa-Eghebi.
9. No Bullshit Guide to Business, Non-fiction, Joy Akosa-Eghebi.
8. Face Me, I Face You, Poetry, Oyindamola Shoola.
7. Everything Good Will Come, Fiction, Sefi Atta.
6. Nigerian Men Will Stain Your White, Fiction, Alexandria Humphrey.
5. Let’s Talk About Your Money, Non-fiction, Kalu Aja.
4. Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa, Non-fiction, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, distributed by Red Door.
3. Vantage, Non-fiction, Olumide Soyombo.
2. Working with Buhari, Non-fiction, Femi Adesina, distributed by Safari Books.
1. Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, Non-fiction, Dele Farotimi.
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FICTION
S/N. TITLE, AUTHOR, PUBLISHER.
49. Butter Honey Pig Bread, Francesca Ekwuyasi, Ouida Books.
49. Love in Colour, Bolu Babalola, Headline Review.
49. The Widow Who Died with Flowers in Her Mouth, Obinna Udenwe, Masobe Books.
48. The Three of Us, Ore Agbaje-Williams, Masobe Books.
47. Call Me Legachi, Adesuwa O’Man Nwokedi, TBLNG Press.
45. Everything is Not Enough, Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, Masobe Books.
45. In Every Mirror She’s Black, Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, Parresia Publisher.
44. The Bishop’s Prodigal Daughter, Timendu Aghahowa, Masobe Books.
43. Vagabonds, Eloghosa Osunde, Farafina Books.
42. Born on a Tuesday, Elnathan John, Cassava Republic Press.
41. A Very Gidi Christmas, Tomilola Coco Adeyemo, Masobe Books.
40. Children of Anguish and Anarchy (Legacy of Orisha: 3), Tomi Adeyemi, Pan Macmillan.
37. Honey and Spice, Bolu Babalola, Headline Review.
37. Odufa, Othuke Ominiabohs, Masobe Books.
37. Who Drove Nearly All Lagos Men Mad?, Ugochukwu Ugonna, Agbalumo Publishing.
36. When We Were Fireflies, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Masobe Books.
35. Americanah (10th Anniversary Edition), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
34. The Fishermen, Chigozie Obioma, Cassava Republic Press.
33. The Parlour Wife, Foluso Agbaje, Masobe Books.
32. The Death of Vivek Oji, Akwaeke Emezi, Farafina Books.
31. The Nigerwife, Vanessa Walters, Masobe Books.
30. My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
29. The List, Yomi Adegoke, Masobe Books.
28. What Happened to Janet Uzor, Miracle Emeka-Nkwor, Masobe Books.
27. The Girl with the Louding Voice, Abi Daré, Sceptre UK.
26. A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara, Pan Macmillan.
25. Daughters Who Walk This Path, Yejide Kilanko, Farafina Books.
24. Wahala, Nikki May, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
23. Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
22. Everything Good Will Come, Sefi Atta, Independent Publisher.
21. Nigerian Men Will Stain Your White, Alexandria Humphrey, Independent Publisher.
20. Ogadinma, Ukamaka Olisakwe, Masobe Books.
19. His Only Wife, Peace Adzo Medie, Ouida Books.
18. Blessings, Chukwuebuka Ibeh, Masobe Books.
17. After the End, Olukorede Yishau, Masobe Books.
16. We Were Girls Once, Aiwanose Odafen, Ouida Books.
15. And So I Roar, Abi Daré, Penguin Publishing.
14. Bridges Are for Burning, Bina Idonije, Masobe Books.
13. Stay with Me, Ayobami Adebayo, Ouida Books.
12. Ghostroots, Pemi Aguda, Masobe Books.
11. Tomorrow I Become a Woman, Aiwanose Odafen, Ouida Books & Scribner UK.
10. Tomorrow Died Yesterday, Chimeka Garricks, Paperworth Books.
9. A Spell of Good Things, Ayobami Adebayo, Ouida Books.
8. The Mechanics of Yenagoa, Michael Afenfia, Masobe Books.
7. Broken: Not a Halal Love Story, Fatima Bala, Masobe Books.
6. The Middle Daughter, Chika Unigwe, Masobe Books.
5. A Broken People’s Playlist, Chimeka Garricks, Masobe Books.
4. I Do Not Come to You by Chance, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, Masobe Books.
3. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Lola Shoneyin, Cassava Republic Press.
2. Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad, Damilare Kuku, Masobe Books.
1. Only Big Bumbum Matters Tomorrow, Damilare Kuku, Ouida Books.
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THE TOP 100
S/N. TITLE, GENRE, AUTHOR, PUBLISHER.
100. An Orchestra of Minorities, Fiction, Chigozie Obioma, Parresia Publisher.
100. Wives Are for Rainy Days, Side Chicks Are for Best Days, Fiction, Chioma Rosemary Onyekaba, Palmwine Publishing.
98. I Am Because We Are, Non-fiction, Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr, Safari Books.
98. Maitama Linen, Fiction, Shehu Usman Yakubu, Independent Publisher.
97. The Road to the Country, Fiction, Chigozie Obioma, Masobe Books.
96. Don’t Tell Daddy What Happened in Lagos, Fiction, Yemi Odunfa, Independent Publisher.
94. Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, Fiction, Wole Talabi, Masobe Books.
94. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty, Fiction, Akwaeke Emezi, Masobe Books.
92. A Thousand Splendid Suns, Fiction, Khaled Hosseini, Bloomsbury Publishers.
92. The Light We Carry, Non-fiction, Michelle Obama, Penguin Publishing.
90. Dreams as God’s Love Language, Non-fiction, Oti Longe, Independent Publisher.
90. Mele Kyari: Leading Through Chaos, Non-fiction, Agbo Agbo and Oghale Ojeaburu, Masobe Books.
89. The Kite Runner, Fiction, Khaled Hosseini, Bloomsbury Publishers.
86. Butter Honey Pig Bread, Fiction, Francesca Ekwuyasi, Ouida Books.
86. Love in Colour, Fiction, Bolu Babalola, Headline Review.
86. The Widow Who Died with Flowers in Her Mouth, Fiction, Obinna Udenwe, Masobe Books.
85. Outside In: The Power of Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business, Non-fiction, Harley Manning, Josh Bernoff, and Kerry Bodine, Amazon Publishing.
83. Living Intentionally Planner, Non-fiction, Sinmiloluwa Anyakora, Treasures Signature.
83. The Three of Us, Fiction, Ore Agbaje-Williams, Masobe Books.
82. Becoming Nigerian, Non-fiction, Elnathan John, Cassava Republic Press.
81. Call Me Legachi, Fiction, Adesuwa O’Man Nwokedi, TBLNG Press.
78. Everything Is Not Enough, Fiction, Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, Masobe Books.
78. In Every Mirror She’s Black, Fiction, Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, Parresia Publisher.
78. My Command, Non-fiction, Olusegun Obasanjo, Prestige Publisher.
77. We Should All Be Feminists, Non-fiction, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
76. What I Know for Sure, Non-fiction, Oprah Winfrey, Pan Macmillan.
75. The Bishop’s Prodigal Daughter, Fiction, Timendu Aghahowa, Masobe Books.
74. Soldiers of Fortune, Non-fiction, Max Siollun, Cassava Republic Press.
73. Guinness World Records 2024, Non-fiction, Guinness World Records, Guinness World Records.
72. Vagabonds, Fiction, Eloghosa Osunde, Farafina Books.
69. Born on a Tuesday, Fiction, Elnathan John, Cassava Republic Press.
69. Oyinbo Karimu, Non-fiction, Mariam Bakre, Independent Publisher.
69. Stepping on Toes, Non-fiction, Hadiza Bala Usman, Cable Books.
68. The Transformational Leader: The Journey of a Tech Bro Turned CEO, Non-fiction, Ademola Adebise, Independent Publisher.
67. My Entrepreneurship Journey, Non-fiction, Austin Avuru, Radi8.
66. A Very Gidi Christmas, Fiction, Tomilola Coco Adeyemo, Masobe Books.
65. Beating All Odds: Diaries and Essays on How Bola Tinubu Became President, Non-fiction, Sam Omatseye, Independent Publisher.
64. The Jungle, Non-fiction, David Hundeyin, Abibiman Publisher.
63. Children of Anguish and Anarchy (Legacy of Orisha: 3), Fiction, Tomi Adeyemi, Pan Macmillan.
62. The Psychology of Money, Non-fiction, Morgan Housel, Harriman House.
59. Honey and Spice, Fiction, Bolu Babalola, Headline Review.
59. Odufa, Fiction, Othuke Ominiabohs, Masobe Books.
59. Who Drove Nearly All Lagos Men Mad?, Fiction, Ugochukwu Ugonna, Agbalumo Publishing.
58. Start with Why, Non-fiction, Simon Sinek, Penguin Publishing.
57. Confident and Killing It, Non-fiction, Tiwalola Ogunlesi, HarperCollins Publishers.
56. Sulwe, Children’s Literature, Lupita Nyong’o, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
55. When We Were Fireflies, Fiction, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Masobe Books.
54. My Fruits My Alphabet, Children, Ndidi Chiazor-Enenmor, Walnut Publishing Limited.
53. The Business Owner Daily Planner, Non-fiction, Joy Akosa-Eghebi, Independent Publisher.
51. Americanah, Fiction, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
51. Notes on Grief, Non-fiction, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
50. No Bullshit Guide to Business, Non-fiction, Joy Akosa-Eghebi, Independent Publisher.
49. What Britain Did to Nigeria, Non-fiction, Max Siollun, Hurst Publishers.
48. Dear Ijeawele, Non-fiction, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
47. How to Sell to Nigerians, Non-fiction, Oloye Akin Alabi, Independent Publisher.
46. Mama’s Sleeping Scarf, Children’s Literature, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
45. Face Me, I Face You, Poetry, Oyindamola Shoola, Independent Publisher.
44. The Fishermen, Fiction, Chigozie Obioma, Cassava Republic Press.
43. Chioma’s Dream, Children, Victoria Okoje, Purplebloom Publishers.
42. The Parlour Wife, Fiction, Foluso Agbaje, Masobe Books.
41. The Death of Vivek Oji, Fiction, Akwaeke Emezi, Farafina Books.
40. The Niger Wife, Fiction, Vanessa Walters, Masobe Books.
39. My Sister, the Serial Killer, Fiction, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
38. The List, Fiction, Yomi Adegoke, Masobe Books.
37. What Happened to Janet Uzor, Fiction, Miracle Emeka-Nkwor, Masobe Books.
36. Atomic Habits, Non-fiction, James Clear, Penguin Publishing.
35. The Girl with the Louding Voice, Fiction, Abi Daré, Sceptre UK.
34. A Little Life, Fiction, Hanya Yanagihara, Pan Macmillan.
33. Daughters Who Walk This Path, Fiction, Yejide Kilanko, Farafina Books.
32. Wahala, Fiction, Nikki May, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
31. Half of a Yellow Sun, Fiction, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Narrative Landscape Publishing.
30. Everything Good Will Come, Fiction, Sefi Atta, Independent Publisher.
29. Nigerian Men Will Stain Your White, Fiction, Alexandria Humphrey, Independent Publisher.
28. Ogadinma, Fiction, Ukamaka Olisakwe, Masobe Books.
27. His Only Wife, Fiction, Peace Adzo Medie, Ouida Books.
26. Let’s Talk About Your Money, Non-fiction, Kalu Aja, Independent Publisher.
25. An Imperfect Storm, Non-fiction, Chikwe Ihekweazu and Vivianne Ihekweazu, Masobe Books.
24. Blessings, Fiction, Chukwuebuka Ibeh, Masobe Books.
23. After the End, Fiction, Olukorede Yishau, Masobe Books.
22. We Were Girls Once, Fiction, Aiwanose Odafen, Ouida Books.
21. And So I Roar, Fiction, Abi Daré, Penguin Publishing.
20. Bridges Are for Burning, Fiction, Bina Idonije, Masobe Books.
18. Nigerian Public Discourse, Non-fiction, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Quramo Books.
18. Stay with Me, Fiction, Ayobami Adebayo, Ouida Books.
17. Breaking Point, Non-fiction, David Hundeyin, Abibiman Publisher.
16. Ghostroots, Fiction, Pemi Aguda, Masobe Books.
15. Tomorrow I Become a Woman, Fiction, Aiwanose Odafen, Ouida Books & Scribner UK.
14. Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa, Non-fiction, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Red Door.
13. Tomorrow Died Yesterday, Fiction, Chimeka Garricks, Paperworth Books.
12. A Spell of Good Things, Fiction, Ayobami Adebayo, Ouida Books.
11. The Mechanics of Yenagoa, Fiction, Michael Afenfia, Masobe Books.
10. Broken: Not a Halal Love Story, Fiction, Fatima Bala, Masobe Books.
9. Vantage, Non-fiction, Olumide Soyombo, Independent Publisher.
8. The Middle Daughter, Fiction, Chika Unigwe, Masobe Books.
7. A Broken People’s Playlist, Fiction, Chimeka Garricks, Masobe Books.
6. I Do Not Come to You by Chance, Fiction, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, Masobe Books.
5. Working with Buhari, Non-fiction, Femi Adesina, Safari Books.
4. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Fiction, Lola Shoneyin, Cassava Republic Press.
3. Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad, Fiction, Damilare Kuku, Masobe Books.
2. Only Big Bumbum Matters Tomorrow, Fiction, Damilare Kuku, Ouida Books.
1. Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, Non-fiction, Dele Farotimi, Independent Publisher. ♦
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