Growing up in a village with insufficient social services and infrastructure

 My given name is Kabiru Shakiru. I'm from Ikire, a typical rural and agricultural community in Nigeria. It is renowned for its traditional delicacy, dodo Ikire. The settlement is on the road between Ibadan and Ile-Ife.

Growing up in a village with insufficient social services and infrastructure, with sunshine as the day's blessing and darkness as the night's beauty, was not a particularly sad tale. My nighttime activities include singing, dancing, and storytelling, all of which contribute to my cultural, emotional, and moral development. Early exposure to a wide variety of literary works aroused my interest in the literature of Nigeria's many tribes, prompting me to enrol in a double honours degree programme in Yoruba language and education at the University of Lagos. Nonetheless, my background and early traumas pale in comparison to my resilience and will to succeed.

This Children's Literature, Media, and Culture programme will expand my global horizons in children's literature, media, and culture, as well as provide me with the knowledge necessary to address and resolve issues and debates surrounding children's and young adult literature in the context of a globalizing and digitalizing Nigerian educational system.

I served as president/student representative for a group of students that studied language as a whole and for its cultural significance. I developed some leadership abilities via my work with various people with different perspectives and experiences, gaining knowledge of the diverse African culture. I previously conducted a study on "How to enhance children's literature." While coaching younger students who participated in language contests, I acquired an appreciation for culture. After graduating from high school, I taught language studies at the Nigerian graduates' mandatory programme at Kano's Nigeria Prison Staff school. My work in both private and governmental organizations has aided in the promotion of Nigerian cultures and languages.

Over the years, I've worked on various projects across Nigeria, broadening my knowledge on topics such as media in polarised cultures, digital marketing, African literature, and education.