15/10/2025
I don't know if fellow 90's kids feel the same about what I'm about to say. More specifically, 90s Akwa Ibom children.
I grew up at a time when our state had just been created. When the Itu River marked the demarcation between the newly created state and its parent state - Cross River. I don't know why for a long time our parents ( it is my belief that majority of our parents) claimed to come from "Calabar." I used to think it's because it was convenient. Because for a long time it was the capital of their state, and easy on the strangers who knew just state and Capital.
And then, going to "Calabar" was like the current trend of people moving from the south to Lagos or Abuja. Calabar was the dream of the average Akwa Ibom child. I know this much from my Father's experience. For him, he worked hard and came on his own, and without knowing anyone in the City. I detail this in my book "Daddy Loves Like Abba" under the Chapter "No Maids Here".
And just as we generally classify indigenes of Delta State as 'Warri people" they were known all their lives as Calabar people.
I tried to explain this to a friend who was constantly upset by Westerners who referred to her as Calabar girl. I didn't blame them totally. I don't even blame our parents...Because before three decades ago, we were all ''Calabar'' and we all shared in the sneer and shame and bad reputation that floated around the nation about "Calabar people." And to a stranger's ear, our dialect sound the same. And we do speak and understand each other perfectly. Except for the heavenly tongues of the oron and Eket people.
Our reputation got worse when we became "Akwa Ibom." An unhealthy fire started by, or made popular by Nollywood. Every housemaid was an Ekaete, just as every gateman was a Northerner. Ekaete, a poor village girl from Akwa Ibom with a deep ibibio accent that changed J to Y and C to G, would say "yungtion" instead of Junction and "Cod" instead of God. So I grew up noting that intelligent and beautiful actors came from other places except my State. Even though we watched the great veteran actress Lizzy Benson, and the very talented Regina Askia, their State of origin was not common knowledge. It was dispelled when it came up in rumours and I didn't even believe it at all.
The first really popular actress that wore her state like a badge was Ini Edo. Probably because her name gave her away. I was in secondary school when she scored her first big role. When her name made waves. When the argument about her State of origin happened in a studio, a guy said 'Do you know Ini Edo is from Akwa Ibom?'
'Ta! She's not!' the fellow replied.
They argued back and forth until an older guy stepped in and asked the fellow 'Ok, since you insist she's not, where is she from?'
With all the boldness he could muster, he said 'She's from Eket!'
The argument died there. Eket is in Akwa Ibom State.
And so Ini Edo became the first person in my invisible book on "Great people from Akwa Ibom." I couldn't put it to words then but the child I was, was seeking for a believable reference. An example that a girl like me, from a 'local' state like Akwa Ibom can be anything remarkable.
And oh Ini Edo was widely celebrated. Akwa Ibomites, we do this thing where we brag about our own. We scream 'That's my sister!' even though it's only on screen you ever see them. I told Buddy this when Hilda Bassey did her Hackathon. I told him my people will carry this on their head. It's almost as if we all feel the same way I did as a child. We all wanted to break free from the 'illiterate, lowlives,' stereotypes we were boxed in, and so any one of us who does above par becomes a bragging right.
I tell you, I feel a genuine joy whenever I discover this remarkable person is Akwaibom. Then I write about them in my book.
I first heard about Vekee James shortly after her wedding. Nigerian social media was all over her and it was impossible not to notice. Then her sewing and designs started flooding the internet... Then I discovered she was Akwa Ibom and I wrote her name in my book.
This week she announced taking her business physically to America and I couldn't be more proud. And though her YouTube story is "Ajegunle to Forbes," I look at her and feel there's a girl with my ancestry. My blood. My person.
Things have changed with my State. A governor came and turned a rejected place into a gem. Times have changed too..the maids in Nollywood are no longer predominantly Akwa Ibom girls. There's better representation and with the advent of social media it's easier to see other amazing people doing great stuff.
And even as I celebrate Vekee James, I'm remembering all the Akwa Ibom people in my childhood book and I'm reminded of how one person shining their light can give others the courage to do the same.
I want to do the same... Not only as my physical identity. But as my true identity.
I want to be a reference. In the future and even now, to have writers say 'If a fellow Christian can write so excellently, so can I!' Because in our world of arts, it's easy to fall for the lie that the best art comes from being anti-God, especially African fiction..... I don't just want to write fiction. I want to write Christian fiction, African-Christian fiction that stands the test of time and literary merits... I want to be the Vekee James, (and other people in my childhood book) of Christian Writing..to shine such that another is encouraged to go after the light too.
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk๐ค
Credit to the writer
