Tares Oburumu Explores Nigeria’s Colonial Memory in Flora’s Love Colony

Poet Tares Oburumu examines Nigeria’s history, identity and the lingering effects of colonialism in Flora’s Love Colony, shortlisted for the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Literature. The collection moves from pre-colonial societies and the Atlantic slave trade to the pressures shaping modern Nigeria. In an interview with me, Oburumu said the book grew from his desire to write beyond his Niger Delta hometown of Syma and confront the histories Nigerians may have overlooked. He uses Flora Shaw’s role in naming Nigeria as a starting point for questions about unity, colonial rule and national identity. The poet argues that political independence did not end every form of colonial influence. Through compressed historical poetry, he invites readers to reconsider slavery, migration, cultural alienation and what genuine mental freedom could mean for Nigeria.

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