Ijanikin Chronicles Memoirs from Secondary School By Ayiba-Tare Raine

In Ijanikin Chronicles, Ayiba-Tare Raine takes readers on a raw and heartfelt journey through his boarding house years at Federal Government College, ljanikin, in the early 1980s. What begins with a traumatic burglary at home evolves into a deeply personal coming-of-age story about survival, identity, and self-discovery.

As a chubby first-year student, he faces bullying, struggles with self-image, and learns the unspoken rules of the social hierarchy. By the end of the year, he has forged friendships, redefined his sense of self, and embraced the independence that boarding house life demands.

With humour, vulnerability, and sharp storytelling, Raine paints an immersive picture of the boarding house experience, blending nostalgia with hard-earned Ife lessons. Fans of Enid Blyton’s school stories will find an intriguing African counterpart in this memoir-one that speaks to every teenager navigating the complexities of growing up in an unfamiliar world.