‘Women should work hard to avoid being shut down’

Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo was born and raised in eastern Nigeria. She is a professor of English Language. She held administrative posts in the University of Lagos, such as Sub-Dean of the Faculty of Arts and acting Head of the English Department. She is curr

Educational background I obtained my Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Arts (MA) degrees in English from the University of Lagos and my PhD from the University of Ibadan, all in Nigeria. Career background I started my national youth service (NYSC) in Jos and later asked to be posted to Makurdi for my primary assignment to be with my husband. I taught English Language at Government Technical Training College, Makurdi. I also taught in Federal Government Teachers’ College, Makurdi; Federal Government Girls’ Secondary School, Bakori and Federal Government College, Kaduna. I was a member of the Editorial Board of two newspapers in Lagos - The Independent (1992 - 1995) and Post Express (1997 - 1999). I was appointed a professor of English at the University of Lagos in 1999. I taught in the Department of English from 1981 to 2012. I headed the Department in 1997 and 1998, and intermittently till 2009. I retired from active service in 2012, then I worked as a contract staff from 2012 to 2015. I relocated to Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, Ebonyi State, in South-East, Nigeria, where I have continued to tutor students and mentor young lecturers.

You became a professor in 1999 when Nigeria was still largely patriarchal. What were the challenges you faced as a woman?

To start with, only few families understood the importance of education for the girl-child. Thankfully, I had a father who knew the value of education. I was encouraged and that made me very brave. I didn’t allow myself to be subjugated. If I sense that I am being oppressed, I always speak out and because I make sure I am great at what I do, it is hard to shut me up. My professorship was delayed for a long time; I didn’t get it when I should have. When my papers were sent out, it took five years to return, while for others, it took between three months to a year. My papers took five years for associate professorship and five years for professorship. The delays were deliberate, but what I did was to keep working hard at publishing while they were delaying. By the time they were ready to send my papers out for publication, I already had almost 40, whereas I didn’t even need up to 30. So, women have to work hard and ensure they are good at what they do to avoid being shut down easily.

How is life after retirement?

Although I have retired from active service, there has not been a day where I haven’t worked. I love to say, ‘I am retired but not tired.’

What is the most rewarding part of your career?

That has to be the joy I derive from doing my work. I count myself lucky to be one of the people who have job satisfaction. I was destined for academics and writing. Also, mentoring young people is rewarding. Sometimes when I go out, some of my past students will see me and will be so eager to greet me. For instance, there was a time I was travelling and I was in the economy class, one of the air hostesses happened to be a former student and she must have gone to talk to the pilot or something because they upgraded me to the business class. This is one of the rewards of teaching. It is not about the gifts but the appreciation it connotes - that you made an impact on someone’s life.

You were the first vice president of the Women Writers Association of Nigeria. What is your assessment of the growth in number and quality of literature from female authors?

When I started writing, there were few female authors, but now, we have more women writers in Nigeria. I belong to the second generation of writers, and it makes me happy to see these younger ones putting out great content. They are writing very well, I take delight in reading their works.

How did you get into writing?

You will know a child that is going to be a writer by how they read when they are young. I was a voracious reader, and I started writing at a very young age. I wrote a play in secondary school because I was the president of my school’s Dramatic Society. However, I published my first short story when I got into the university. I wrote it in my first year and it was titled, ‘The Call of Death’. It was published in a magazine by Daily Times in Lagos in 1970s, just after the war. I was

paid 10pounds for the story.

How do you reconcile the two professions – teaching and writing?

They are both symbiotic. Teaching and writing work together. Many writers are teachers. I have combined the two very well because they feed each other. Greatest obstacle faced as an author Initially, it was finding publishers. Many publishers are not keen on publishing literary works in

Nigeria because they might not be able to recoup their money. They prefer to publish school textbooks and the likes. I went to the University of London as a Commonwealth Fellow in 1989, and that was when I got a publisher that published the two collections of short stories I had written. However, now the story has changed because I am better known now. I don’t have difficulty getting publishers.

You have received a large number of literary awards; is there anyone you feel privileged to have won? Is there anyone you look forward to winning?

Of course, the Nigeria Prize of Literature is special because it is one of the richest literary prizes in the whole world. It is higher than the Booker and Orange prizes. The NLNG prize is worth $100,000 and I feel privileged to have won that. I don’t write for the prizes though, so there is no one I’m looking forward to winning. My only aim as a writer is to write well, touch people’s lives with my works and just get better at my craft. If there is a competition my publisher can submit my books, but it is not awards or prizes that motivate me.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by things that happen in the country. Recently, I have been writing about the ills happening in Nigeria, such as insecurity, rape, abuse of power and so on. My last story that was published in New York last year was about police brutality and corruption police officials on the high way harassing motorists for money is very rampant in the East now. I also write about good things like celebrating good Nigerians. I have written about the late Abiola Irele, the literary giant from Harvard who died recently in the US, and a book on the late Buchi Emecheta that will be coming out soon.

What legacy would you like to leave behind as a writer?

I want people to see me as a Nigerian writer that has contributed to the growth of Nigerian literature, especially the alternative literature, which I see as women’s writings. The men write from their perspectives, so there should be women writing from their perspective and casting Nigerian women in a light that captures us in our entirety.

Among all the books you have written, which one is your favourite?

Your books are like your children, you must not have a favourite. I love all my books.

What were you like when you were younger?

I was a very obedient child; I always listened to my parents. I was the first child of my family, so I was brought up strictly.

Did you always want to become a teacher and writer?

Initially, I wanted to be a journalist, but then I got married in 200-Level and decided that teaching would be the best profession for me, especially as my husband (a postgraduate student) was soon to become a practising surveyor and would be moving from one part of Nigeria to another in the course of his duty. I wanted to be with him all the time and it would be easier for me to ask for a transfer as a teacher.

Joys of motherhood said no, so I went to ask my dad and he said yes. I went, but when I came back, I was flogged. My father asked why I didn’t tell him that I already asked my mum. He said I was dishonest. From that day, I tried to maintain obedience and honesty.

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