Nigeria

The real action of the novel begins and ends in Ifemelu’s home country, Nigeria, specifically in Lagos, Nigeria where she grew up. Prior to Ifemelu’s move to America she views Lagos as a place to escape from. The government is corrupt and in a state of unrest. Government officials live in fancy houses, while average citizens like Ifemelu and her parents live in considerably less comfortable housing. The more fortunate citizens have generators to keep their power on during frequent power outages. In fact, people are envious over their neighbor’s larger or nicer generators. Many women in Lagos live a higher lifestyle than their actual jobs would afford because they are the mistresses of wealthy government officials and corrupt business men. Aunty Uju is one of these women. She is living in a beautiful pink house in Dolphin Estate with a well-stocked freezer, a generator...