Margret Olele, CEO of the American Business Council has put together a personal odyssey of self-discovery of Nigeria’s history and rich cultural heritage through the eyes of a young girl who grew up in a middle-class family from Delta State between the 1970s and 90s.
Olele’s work culminated in the launching of a communal memoir, ‘Corals of Youth,’ aimed at encouraging Nigerians to embrace history in dealing with the issues of decline in family values, middle-class and culture.
Against the backdrop of the just concluded Africa Creative Market in Lagos, Olele shared her motivation and thoughts for writing, one of which was to enable Nigerians to understand the past and to be able to deal with the future.
“The book is multifaceted because there is a strong theme around family life. When you think about today, and the changes brought about by technology, you will know that the value of family life is not the way it used to be. Extended family life is not a burden but an added value advantage that enables you to get more knowledge about culture.
“The book takes you on a nostalgic journey through a learning that helps us understand the present and how to change the present. We are beginning to see a declining middle class but at the time when we were growing, we had a lot of people in that category. We are beginning to see a decline in family values, history and culture and being able to apply it in a way that can help us get better,” Olele said.
According to her, family influences are contributing to declining family values in society because, in their growing up days, parents taught their children how to exist within the ambit of other people.
“We were taught Christian values, and the values learnt in schools, because they were critical to understanding how to build a better person. We were taught to be accountable to ourselves, our family, community and schools.
She said having a mother who grew up in Kano while she was born in Ibadan despite being of Delta origin enabled her to understand the essence of unity while dealing with people from different ethnic groups.
Corals of Youth masterfully string together the author’s experiences and those of her peers, creating a stunning literal mosaic of school life, escapades, relationships, and cultural influences.
The book captures the essence of a bygone era, exploring the intersection of cultures, traditions, and identities.
With each ‘coral bead’ of memory, the author takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery, laughter, and nostalgia, painting a vivid picture of a city that has become a melting pot of cultures.
Giving her thought, Joke Silva, a popular Nigerian actress, said the book moves from today, goes into the early and gives you an idea of how things have changed.
“Reading it reminds me of how we bring up children, the things our parents made us do and we can’t even do those things with children of today. For a young person who wants to have a better idea of how Nigeria used to be and an older person who wants to see how far we have come, the book provides an interesting perspective,” she said.
She said many parents ask their children to be their friends, but what is most important is that parents need to be parents.
“We have to be the compass of our children until they reach the age where they can make decisions on their own,” she added.
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