How your village is following you everywhere, By Abiodun Adeniyi

Professor Abiodun Adeniyi delves into the profound concept of the "village," defining it not by geography but as a place of deep emotional connection and ancestral origin. This metaphorical village represents the ancestral resting place, the place parents identify as their origin, whether it's a birthplace, a childhood home, or a place of inherited association.

Adeniyi clarifies that this concept differs significantly from the Nigerian interpretation, which often associates the village with sorcery and witchcraft, blaming it for misfortunes and perceived obstacles to progress. Instead, his focus is on the "real or imagined association with a place as a point of association, a location of belonging, where longing persists." This longing is characterized by nostalgia, emotional ties, and the contemplation or actuality of return.

The article poses critical questions about the role these "villages" play in shaping individuals' social, economic, cultural, and political lives. It probes how these ancestral connections influence personal journeys, how movements and mobility are perceived in relation to them, and how they impact the fundamental human quest for belonging or the experience of unbelonging. Adeniyi frames these inquiries within his extensive academic career in communication studies.