‘I wrote most of the poems in idyllic spots in and around the city of Abuja. I was working like a landscape painter but in my case I was painting with words.’

These were the words of Nigerian writer Denja Abdullahi, who has recently published a collection of poems about Abuja.

Abuja Nunyi, which means ‘this is Abuja’ in the Gbagyi language, is a product of the 2005-2006 British Council and Lancaster University Crossing Borders online writing and mentoring project, which Abdullahi participated in.

Crossing Borders, now known as Radiophonics, is a cross-cultural distance learning scheme whose aim is to link young African writers with experienced UK mentors and develop their work through e-mail tutorials.

According to the Crossing Borders website, the aim is to get students to hear, identify and develop their voices as writers. This initiative currently operates in Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ghana and Cameroon.

Over 100 African writers are enrolled, working in poetry, fiction and children’s literature with around 30 mentors drawn from a wide range of cultural backgrounds in the UK.

Abdullahi started writing the poems in this book in 2005 after he joined the Crossing Borders project.

‘I decided to work on a collection of poems on Abuja,’ he says, ‘and the project involved a nine-month course of online exchanges between myself and a UK-based mentor. It was during this period that I wrote virtually all the poems in this collection.’

Abdullahi says it was easier to write about Abuja than Lagos because the city has a slower pace.

‘You stand the danger of being romantic or pastoral in writing about Abuja, [however,] because of the dream behind the city, the enchanting landscapes and the gardens which are all items of seduction for a poet any day,’ he says.

But despite the inspiration of Abuja, writing the book had its challenges.

‘I faced the challenge of finding subjects to write about that will transcend just glorifying the sights and sounds,’ he says. ‘I had to infuse emotion and attitude into things that are normally ordinary, not carrying much depth, which means I had to use my creativity to reshape things in ways that allowed me make strong and enduring statements.’

Abdullahi says one of his favourite poems in the book is about seeking justice for the Gbagyi people. ‘The justice that I seek is the preservation of their cultural heritage amid the development of the mega city.’

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