55 Years of Nigerian Literature: The Illustrations of Alaba Onajin

Next up in my celebration of art in Nigerian literature - the works of Alaba Onajin, an illustrator and graphic novel artist, whose work I love. Alaba Onajin has been working professionally since 2005, and has illustrated comic book strips on African Women's History for UNESCO, as well as children's books and his own graphic novels. Here's some of Onajin's illustrations.

Wale Walking by Alaba Onajin

Onajin illustrated two digital comic strips - one on Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and the other on Taytu Betul - as part of UNESCO's Women in African History series. Here are some of the illustrations for Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti's story.

Images via UNESCO.org

I especially like Onajin's cover for The Birth of the Pale Rider by Ifedayo Adigwe Akintomide. I just want to know what they are saying to each other (the turtle and the boy) and how they are communicating.

Before and after. Image via The Alaba Onajin Project

Onaji has also written and illustrated his own graphic novels, including The Elephants and the Grass and The Adventures of Atioro.

Graphic novel about child soldiers

Images via carbonmade

... as well as Anike Eleko - a children's graphic novel, written by Onajin and Sandra Joubealio about a young street seller who dreams of winning a scholarship so she is able to go to school. 

Images via Facebook, Twitter and Pikore