Join us for a month of bringing the nation of Nigeria to life in your home. Printables, recipes, reading recommendations, prayer points, and more. Come explore the culture and people of Nigeria with us!
How to get the most out of Planted seeds
1. Download and print the resource package 2. Display the info graphic and prayer points somewhere where the whole family can see (ours is by the dining table) 3. Pray for the nation of the month each day 4. Pick two or more activities from below. (You are welcome to do them all, but let's be real, sometimes the "extras" just ain't happenin'!)
Make cards to send to the missionary of the month, be sure to include exactly what you have been praying for them during this time.
Pickup some of the recommended books from the library, scatter them around the house, or intentionally select them for read alouds
Plan a night to eat like the Nigerians
Locate Nigeria on a map
Watch the the recommended videos
Nigeria is one of the most diverse countries in Africa with over 1,150 dialects and ethnic groups.
Nigeria in a nutshell, a summary for understanding:
Nigeria is split between the wealthy south and the rural, struggling north. The south has its own problems with corruption due to the oil industry and government mismanagement of funds. It is mostly Christian, but leans towards a prosperity gospel as it is the home of some of the wealthiest individuals on the whole continent of Africa.
Northern Nigeria is plagued with more rural difficulties like famine and poverty. The far north and east is home to an ongoing struggle with the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram, where many villages and schools have been terrorized.
Between these two extremes lies the Middle Belt, and if you have followed any of the recent news of persecution of Christians in Nigeria, (Read more here, or here) it is happening in this region where the Muslim north meets the Christian south.
Spotlight on a Missionary
You are encouraged to pray for a missionary from your own church to the nation of Nigeria, but on the chance that your church is not currently supporting a missionary in this country, please consider joining us in praying for our featured missionary
Mike and Diane Manville with Wycliffe Bible Translators
Mike and Diane were struck by the great need for the Scriptures to be translated for the world's bibleless people and responded to God's call.
Nigeria is home to over 500 languages and 240 of them have no Bible translation, meaning millions of Nigerians still do not have access to God's Word in their own language. As a Consultant-in-training, Mike will work alongside Nigerian translators equipping them to translate the Bible into their own heart languages.
Diane will homeschool Johanna and together they will seek opportunities to minister to women and children.
The Manvilles are just beginning their international ministry, having arrived in Nigeria in May. That makes this a great month to pray for them as they make the difficult transition to life overseas in a foreign culture.
Their desire is to see lives and communities transformed as people hear about Jesus through the Bible in a language they clearly understand.
The Manvilles have asked that we pray specifically that God would prepare people’s hearts to receive the scriptures as they’re translated into their heart language. Also that God would give Mike and the national translators he works with wisdom and insight to translate clearly, naturally, and accurately. Please continue to pray that they would adapt well to this new culture, stay healthy and rested, and retain all that they are learning in orientation these next several months.
Connect with their ministry here. Or send your letters of encouragement to: Mike and Diane Manville P.O. Box 953 Jos, Plateau State 930001 Nigeria
While this is not the Manville family, this video chronicles a family following the same calling to bible translation, in the same region the Manvilles are called to serve.
This video is a fantastic explanation of just the sort of trouble that can arise in the work of translation.
Recommended Reading
Baby Goes to Market, by Atinuke - Recommended Age 0-5
Baby tags along on mama's back on market day. Market is crowded and baby charms the sellers at each stall earning little snacks and treats everywhere mama stops. This was the book my littles begged to read on repeat about 20 times. A funny and endearing story that invites you along into a Nigerian market.
Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum, retold by Ashley Bryan - Recommended age 5-15
This collection of five Nigerian folktales shines a light on some cultural background of Nigeria. If you grew up in a Nigerian village, perhaps these are some of the stories you might have heard from your elders. Told in a rhythmic language that makes you want to tap your foot, they are just plain fun to read.
Around the World with Kate and Mack, by Melissa Paredes - Recommended age 5-12
This book is published by Wycliffe and is a wonderful for resource for introducing children to the need for and the challenges associated with bible translation. With a different language for each letter of the alphabet, kids can see what a big job getting the bible into each people's heart language is.
Ikenna goes to Nigeria, by Ifeoma Onyefulu - Recommended age 3-10
One boy's trip to visit relatives in Nigeria. We experience through Ikenna's eyes his first experience falling in love with his culture of origin. Onyefulu is an award winning photographer, and all her books have vivid pictures and coupled with expressive narrative.
Emeka's Gift, by Ifeoma Onyefulu - Recommended age 2-5
Emeka wants to get something special for grandmother when he goes to visit her. He counts his way through the village taking the reader on a cultural exploration of the gifts he considers. In the end, Grandma's favorite gift is just seeing Emeka come to visit!
Welcome Dede! by Ifeoma Onyefulu - Recommended age 5-12
A fascinating story of how names are chosen in Nigerian culture. It's a serious decision made by grandparents and village elders. Parents are not even allowed to be present, and are informed of the decision later. Names are chosen for their meaning and significance, and the new little one is welcomed by the whole village.
Saying Good-bye, by Ifeoma Onyefulu - Recommended age 5-12
A picture chronicle of the celebration of life that is a Nigerian funeral. Far from the sad and tearful occasion it is in western culture, a Nigerian funeral is an occasion for song and dance while the deceased is remembered for all the good things he or she brought into the lives of others.
Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky, retold by Niki Daly - Recommended age 3-8
A Nigerian fable about the time the Sun, who loved the Sea, invited Sea and all her swimming and splashing children into the house that he and Moon shared. With no more room for Sun and Moon in the house, they were forced to fly to the sky where they have been ever since.
The Flying Tortoise, An Igboo Tale, retold by Tololwa M. Mollel - Recommended age 3-8
Another Nigerian folktale about the very prideful tortoise, and all the troubles his insatiable ego got him into.
Why the Sky is Far Away, retold by Mary Joan Gerson - Recommended age 3-8
A Nigerian folktale about the long ago time when the sky was close to earth, and the greediness of man that made it retreat into the heavens.
Nigeria, by Mary N. Onluonye - Recommended age 6-10
A non-fiction book for younger readers to explore on their own. Well illustrated with color photographs, with only about a paragraph of text per page.
Nigeria Enchantment of the world, by Ann Heinrichs - Recommended age 8-15
A non-fiction book covering the history, culture, government, and people of Nigeria in greater depth for the older reader.
Recommended viewing
This is a great video for your littlest ones showing how an average family gets through the chores of the day in middle to northern Nigeria. (Please note the video is from the small country of Benin to the west of Nigeria, but the living conditions are similar.)
A look into some of the struggles with malnutrition the north is experiencing while the wealthy in south continue to influence politics to benefit their own ends.
Recipes
Nigerian food is as different as its broad dispersion of culture, and landscape. Nigeria is home to coastal waterways, mountains, savanna, and rain-forest. You can imagine the produce and available meats vary widely. I've tried to offer a selection of some of the most common foods. Fruits and vegetables you may add to your spread when having your Nigerian meal include avocado, papaya, melon, pineapple, banana, mango, and citrus.
Considered the National Dish of Nigeria, jollof rice is a spicy savory dish with a tomato base. It is the most commonly prepared dish in all regions of Nigeria. If you read Ikenna Goes to Nigeria, by Oneyefulu, this is the dish that Ikenna's grandmother prepares for his birthday, and there is a recipe in the back of the book.
Yams are a staple in the Nigerian diet as they are readily available in the area. Nigerian yams are not like American yams, but this recipe says the American yams can be substituted. Check out the chin chin recipe from the same site if you are looking for a sweet ending to your Nigerian dinner.
A favorite of Nigerian's, fried plantains make a fast, and easy breakfast. Similar in flavor to french fries, they are sure to be a kid crowd-pleaser.
We have so enjoyed learning about Nigeria this month. Thank you again for this AWESOME resource. We wanted to share a Nigerian game that we found, in case anyone else is following along, and not quite on the same schedule as far as months. ;-) The game is called Dara, and instructions can be found at https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/dara-game/. My 5 and 8 year old both enjoy playing.