WAEC & NECO Literature-in-English 2026–2030 | African Poetry
Not My Business by Niyi Osundare: Complete Study Guide
A man watches his neighbours disappear one by one and says nothing, until the jeep comes for him. This guide explains the poem in simple English: summary, themes, devices, tone, background and exam questions.
Key words and images:
AkanniDanladiChinwethe yamthe waiting jeep
Not My Business by Niyi Osundare is one of the six African poems prescribed for WAEC and NECO Literature-in-English from 2026 to 2030. It is short, powerful and easy to remember. Through one selfish speaker, Osundare warns that silence in the face of injustice puts everyone in danger.
All line numbers follow the official WAEC text, which has 26 lines. The poem appears in seven stanzas in most textbooks, so check your copy.
Not My Business by Niyi Osundare: quick facts
| Poet | Niyi Osundare, Nigeria |
| Category | African poetry (WAEC/NECO 2026–2030) |
| Form | Free verse in seven stanzas (26 lines), with a repeated three-line refrain |
| Speaker | An ordinary citizen who watches his neighbours suffer and does nothing |
| Subject | The danger of keeping quiet while others face injustice |
| Setting | Nigeria under military rule |
| Tone | Ironic and satirical, ending in shock and fear |
What the poem is about
The speaker lives in a society where men in a jeep take people away without warning. First they beat and abduct Akanni. Next, they drag Danladi from his home at night. Then Chinwe loses her job for no reason at all.
Each time, the speaker shrugs. As long as nobody takes the yam from his own mouth, he asks, why should he care? At the end, however, a knock comes at his door while he sits down to eat. The jeep that took his neighbours now waits outside his house. His silence has not protected him.
Stanza-by-stanza outline
Stanza 1 (lines 1–4). Men arrive one morning and take Akanni. They beat him until he is soft like clay, then push him into a waiting jeep.
Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 (lines 5–7, 12–14 and 19–21). After each attack, the speaker repeats the same question. Why should any of this concern him, as long as nobody takes the yam from his mouth?
Stanza 3 (lines 8–11). One night, the same forces wake a whole household with their boots. They drag Danladi away, and he disappears for a long time.
Stanza 5 (lines 15–18). Chinwe arrives at work to find she has lost her job. Nobody questions or warns her, despite her clean record.
Stanza 7 (lines 22–26). Finally, as the speaker sits down to eat his own yam, a knock comes at his door. Outside, the same jeep now waits on his lawn.
For a fuller explanation, read our Not My Business poem summary.
Key words and images
Akanni, Danladi and Chinwe. These names come from Nigeria’s three largest ethnic groups: Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo. Osundare shows that injustice reaches everyone, whatever their background.
The yam. Yam is a staple food across much of Nigeria. In the poem, it stands for the speaker’s comfort, livelihood and selfish interest.
The waiting jeep. Military and security forces often travelled in jeeps. The jeep represents a cruel government that can seize anyone at any time.
The knock on the door. This sound marks the turning point. The trouble the speaker ignored has finally arrived at his own home.
Main themes
Indifference and apathy. The speaker ignores his neighbours’ suffering because it does not touch him.
Injustice and abuse of power. Innocent people suffer arrest, beating and dismissal without any trial or reason.
Selfishness. His only concern is keeping the yam in his mouth.
Collective responsibility. Silence in the face of injustice allows it to spread until it reaches everyone.
National unity. The three victims carry Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo names, so oppression touches every part of Nigeria.
Fear under dictatorship. The silent, waiting jeep hangs over ordinary life like a threat.
Our guide explains each theme with line references. Read it here: themes in Not My Business.
Get the full Not My Business exam pack
Likely WAEC and NECO essay questions with model answers, plus objective questions with answers for revision and class tests.
Key poetic devices
Refrain. The same three lines return in stanzas 2, 4 and 6 (lines 5–7, 12–14 and 19–21).
Rhetorical question. The refrain asks a question that expects no answer, which exposes the speaker’s selfishness.
Simile. The attackers beat Akanni soft like clay (line 2).
Personification. The jeep has a belly (lines 3–4) and waits (lines 4 and 25), while the lawn seems bewildered (line 25).
Euphemism. A lengthy absence (line 11) softens a disappearance, and one neat sack (line 18) softens an unjust dismissal.
Irony. The speaker who says others’ troubles are not his business becomes the next victim (lines 22–26).
Symbolism. The yam stands for personal comfort, and the jeep stands for the power of a cruel government.
See every device with examples and effects in our guide to the poetic devices in Not My Business.
Tone, mood and structure
Tone. The speaker sounds careless and self-satisfied. Behind him, though, the poet’s tone is ironic and critical. In the final stanza, the mood turns to shock and fear.
Mood. Readers feel growing unease as each victim disappears. The ending leaves a chill, because the danger has reached the speaker himself.
Structure. Three short stories of injustice alternate with the same three-line refrain. The pattern breaks in the last stanza, which has no refrain. That missing refrain shows the speaker can no longer ask his selfish question.
About the poet
Niyi Osundare was born on 12 March 1947 in Ikere-Ekiti, in present-day Ekiti State. His poetry draws heavily on the oral traditions of his Yoruba culture. He studied at the University of Ibadan, the University of Leeds and York University in Canada, where he earned his PhD in 1979.
Osundare became a professor and Head of English at the University of Ibadan. In 1997, he moved to the University of New Orleans as a professor of English. His award-winning collections include The Eye of the Earth (1986), which won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, and Waiting Laughters, which won the NOMA Award in 1991. A strong defender of free speech, he believes that to utter is to alter.
Why Not My Business by Niyi Osundare still matters
Critics link the poem to Nigeria’s years of military rule, when arrests without trial were common. Yet its warning still applies today. People often scroll past news of kidnappings, unjust arrests or job losses because the victims are strangers. Osundare reminds readers that injustice left unchallenged rarely stays in one place.
Many readers compare the poem to a famous statement by the German pastor Martin Niemöller about Nazi Germany. He described how he stayed silent as the regime came for one group after another, until nobody remained to speak for him. Osundare’s poem carries the same lesson in a Nigerian setting.
Sample exam question
Question: Comment on the speaker’s attitude to the suffering of others.
Answer outline: The speaker is indifferent and selfish. Although he witnesses Akanni’s beating (lines 1–4), Danladi’s abduction (lines 8–11) and Chinwe’s dismissal (lines 15–18), he does nothing. His repeated question shows that he cares only about his own yam (lines 5–7). Ironically, his attitude fails to protect him, since the jeep finally waits on his own lawn (line 25).
How to answer questions on this poem
Start by naming the poet and the poem, then answer the question directly. Next, make three or four points, each supported by a line reference. Explain what each piece of evidence shows, rather than retelling the poem. For practice, try our Not My Business questions and answers.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote Not My Business?
Niyi Osundare, a Nigerian poet born in 1947 in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
What is Not My Business about?
A selfish speaker ignores the suffering of his neighbours until the same fate reaches him.
What does the yam symbolise?
It stands for the speaker’s personal comfort and selfish interests.
Why are the victims named Akanni, Danladi and Chinwe?
The names come from the Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo peoples, showing that injustice affects all Nigerians.
Is Not My Business on the WAEC syllabus?
Yes. Not My Business by Niyi Osundare is one of the African poems prescribed for WAEC and NECO from 2026 to 2030.
Teaching this poem?
Get ready-made lesson notes, class tests and exam questions with marking guides for Not My Business and all 12 prescribed poems.
