On February 26, 2025, the College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Africology and African American History celebrated the release of Before I Die: Nigeria of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the new book of poetry by Temple PhD student Chinedu Agbo. The event, which featured a presentation by Agbo and readings from the book, took place in Gladfelter Hall.

Agbo describes the collection as an “autopsy of Nigeria’s past and present, while also functioning as a plea for a better tomorrow.” Over the course of the evening, Agbo, who worked as a television journalist for 17 years in Nigeria, offered a small glimpse at the country’s complex history and vibrant culture. 

Proceedings began with a performance of the Nigerian national anthem, sung by Chimamaka Adaigbo Anyanwu in Igbo, with Agbo noting that “language is the most important part of culture.” Agbo then took the audience through a condensed modern history of the country, accompanied by a video performance by a Nigerian dance troupe, interpreting periods and events through choreography.

Following a short Q&A session, Agbo and a few special guests read selections from Before I Die.  Among those performed was “Prayer of an Unborn Nigerian,” written from the perspective of an unborn Nigerian child anticipating growing up in a country that is divided along lines of faith, geography and class. Another, “Ancestral Intelligence,” celebrated the lessons and wisdom passed down through ancient Afrocentric folklore, contrasting it with the disposable nature of artificial intelligence applications today.

Before I Die: Nigeria of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly is available now from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.