Welcome to another Edition of the Writers Space Africa Magazine Writers corner. In this Edition, I will be chatting with Namse Udosen the educational Rockstar from Nigeria.
PPBlessing: So why do you call yourself half man, half amazing?NU: That name is old. I am now called the Super Duper Special one. The half man, half amazing name came from Nas. The track “Nas is Like” is so poetic and that line stuck.
PPBlessing: Okay. Thank you for the updates. How did the new name come about?
NU: I believe I am special. My friends say I am a genius flirting with insanity.
My students say I bring vibes to the classroom.
PPBlessing: Interesting… How about your educational Rockstar part?
NU: I am an educational reformer. In these parts, people feel teaching or education should be boring. I am changing the narrative by bringing the funk to the class.
PPBlessing: Wonderful. How has that been so far?NU: It’s been laced with challenges. Nigerians struggle to accept innovations. But I still do my best for the kids.
PPBlessing: How about your writing? Which other books have you published aside from Fundamental etiquette for young Nigerians?
NU: I have published a Textbook from my M.ed thesis on School Plant Management.
I have a free ebook for kids, Silly Sally. I have another one in the works. I can’t reveal it now because I haven’t finalized it with the publisher.
PPBlessing: Interesting… Can you shed more light on these books?
NU: The one on School Plant is research-based. It’s a guide for school administrators on the types of facilities to run a proper school. It touches on physical infrastructure, welfare, learning aids and others. It also gives a guide for maintenance processes.
Silly Sally is a basic reader. It is poetic and has lots of decodable words for children.
Fundamental etiquette for young Nigerians is a book on good manners for children. I hope to work on a revised edition.
Namse with kids at Narayi for remedial education after the COVID-19 lockdown
PPBlessing: How and when did you start writing?
NU: I started writing as a kid. I think I was about 7 when my dad used to make us write about trips we made. He also made us write compositions and book reviews.
PPBlessing: Did you like writing then?
NU: I did not oh. I found it boring.
PPBlessing: So, when did writing become interesting?
NU: I think when I started liking babes. I started writing love poems and getting rave reviews.
PPBlessing: When was that?
NU: When I was in secondary school. It was an all-boys military school. We used to sneak out letters to babes. During holidays, I would hear stuff like “Namse one girl in my school liked your poem”.
PPBlessing: Were babes the sole inspiration for your writing?NU: Then or now?
PPBlessing: Then
NU: I also loved to create a world of comfort for myself. I was an introvert and had difficulty socializing as a young guy.
PPBlessing: Hmm.. How did you evolve into writing for kids and the educational sector?
NU: Teaching in primary education opened my eyes to the gaps in literacy resources. Working with children made me realise there was a cultural gap in children’s books.
PPBlessing: Did you study education in school?
NU: Yes. I have a B.ed and M.ed in Educational Administration and Planning.
PPBlessing: Wow! That’s awesome. How has those affected your writing?
NU: From an academic perspective, it has given me a more empirical approach to writing. So I try to research before writing. I look for stats to guide my work. It makes me consider different perspectives when writing. It has also focused my writing on solving gaps in education.
PPBlessing: Are you the founder of the Tanar Kaduna Bookathon?
NU: Yes, I am.
PPBlessing: Why the name Tanar for the Bookathon?
NU: Tanar means teacher.
PPBlessing: Oh wow! What language is that?
NU: Hungarian
PPBlessing: Nice… Are you multilingual?
NU: No oh. I just did some translations and loved Tanar.
PPBlessing: How did the Bookathon come about and what’s its aim?
NU: My job as a teacher revealed the gap in reading resources for children in poor communities. I decided to do something by getting creative volunteers to help create culturally relevant reading books for children.
PPBlessing: How far have you come with that?
NU: We have been able to produce 3 ebooks and run printing of over 1000 books. We have distributed to IDP camps, LEA schools and communities in Kaduna.
Open-air classroom for street children at Baban Saura, Kaduna
PPBlessing: Such giant strides! Do you have partners and sponsors?
NU: Our original partners were Yasmin el-Rufai Foundation, WSA, and a few others.
Right now, I am trying to re-strategize and rework the model.
PPBlessing: Godspeed
NU: Thanks
PPBlessing: Aside from educating children, writing for them and the educational sector, what else do you do?
NU: I am currently trying my hands on a TV show. I also run a podcast on Ayambalitcast where I read stories for children and share lessons. I love listening to rap and watching military documentaries.
Part of my community work is with Wonder Woman Nigeria. We had a program for a year where we distributed sanitary pads and counselled young girls in Kujama village kaduna.
PPBlessing: What do you do for fun?
NU: I love visiting bars and dancing. I do karaoke. I also do some nature photography. I love cooking and experimenting with recipes.
PPBlessing: Sounds interesting. If you weren’t in the educational line, what would you have done?
NU: I would have been in the military or a rapper.
PPBlessing: Why?
NU: I attended military schools. I love combat. I would have made a great artilleryman. I was part of two rap groups in the university.
PPBlessing: Such a versatile man. Little wonder you are the educational Rockstar. Do you have mentees?
NU: Yes, I do. Most of my students still hang on to me. I have others from the Creative Writing program of YELF.
PPBlessing: That’s great. Do you have Mentors?
NU: Yes I do. Anthony Onugba, Richard Dambo and Prof Undie.
PPBlessing: How have they mentored you?
NU: They have given me inspiration as a writer and educator. Anthony made me start writing again when he started WSA and made me a founding member.
Prof Undie is my academic mentor.
Richard Dambo helps me understand civic engagement and community service.
PPBlessing: How has being part of WSA and the magazine’s editorial board affected your writing?
NU: It’s been an important learning curve. It has exposed me to broader views and experiences.
PPBlessing: Thank you so much for your time. Keep doing great things.
Thank you for staying with us through this Edition, until next month, keep reading the Writers Space Africa Magazine.
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