Surely almost every one who reads stories about Nigeria has heard a lot — and for some, enough about the city of Lagos. But to be honest, the writers who take up Lagos as the location of their stories, make readers want to know more and more. A collection of short stories, structured as case-studies, and a form of love letter in solidarity with the women who have survived romantic relationships with men in Lagos….it deftly analyses the various archetypes women are likely to encounter in the dating scene in the city – from serial cheaters, to mummy’s boys, from the ‘fake it till you make it’ adherents to the ones who can’t commit. This book underscores with wit, humour, wisdom, and sensitivity the perils of trying to find lasting love and companionship in Africa’s craziest city that will prove universal and illuminating. Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad quantity Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad by Damilare Kuku – eBook Details While there is an enjoyable freshness to Kuku’s storytelling, her characters and their shenanigans, there isn’t much depth. The characters in Nearly All the Men are superficial like Lagos—products of their origins. Kuku makes a point of giving the Nigerian women who have to deal with the men some grit. Lagos men are not for the faint-hearted and Kuku’s women are not the women who ‘sit down and take it’; nor are they the women that Nollywood tends to present to its audience: meek and virtuous. Kuku’s women have some agency over their lives, demand sex even from shy church ‘brothers’ or offer it brazenly to their roommate’s new lecherous boyfriend. At a point, the POVs switch to the males in the stories, but the message remains the same: Lagos men take stupidly selfish decisions regarding love and sex.

The issues raised are real ones. More than half of the time, women are on the receiving end of bad decisions and selfish acts by men. Nevertheless, this is far from being a "Lagos men" issue, as the author seems to portray.

Although the writer makes up for this in the last story! Which gives us twists and turns and also, directly relates to the book’s title! Damilare Kuku is new to Nigeria’s literary scene. But her short story collection, Nearly All The Men in Lagos Are Mad, came with a buzz. Released in October 2021, the book is a collection of twelve salient tales of young Nigerians in Lagos. Capturing the complexion of the city, it grapples with themes like love, sex, deceit, infidelity, companionship, and heartbreak. It is in Lagos that a man with shrunken cheeks and a large forehead marked by many hours in the sun will trudge up to you, trying to convince you that he is a wealthy businessman who needs help clearing goods worth millions of dollars with the promise of a hefty compensation. You will look closely at him, noting his ratty suitcase and faded shirt, before moving carefully and hurriedly away. Anyone who could keep a white shirt clean at the end of the day in Lagos deserved a standing ovation. But I should have known that any man who could keep a white shirt clean at the end of a Lagos work day would be dangerous" Nearly All the Men in Lagos are Mad’ is a collection of twelve short stories featuring characters with unique voices and stories that represent the diverse class, gender and ethnic melting pot that is Lagos.

Nearly All The Men in Lagos Are Mad is a collection of short stories, written mostly from the POV of embittered women who've been cheated in dramatic circumstances by callous, promiscuous and self-gratifying men. Bella’s tinder match considers her a hook-up partner and not a real girlfriend, and although Bella would have not minded this term, she had something she was trying to protect and Jidenna might have to bend for her to have her way. This first story ‘Swiped Right’ is perfect for the collection’s introduction, as it gets one ready for the bumpy ride ahead. Some of these women are friends, close acquaintances, and relatives. "One of the aims of my work as a creative artist is bringing human beings closer, especially women," Kuku told OkayAfrica. "Because women need to know that whatever they are going through, they are not alone. There are other people with the same thing happening to them." The novel provides a plethora of erotic scenes and the stories are told in different tenses that sometimes get mixed up in the course of the novel. This part of it, including the extensive use of complex and hard-to-read sentences, would have benefited from good editing. Beautiful to note is the simplicity of the language in the book, which makes it an easy read for anyone. However, this might not be up to standard for avid readers used to proper diction. Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad is a collection of twelve short stories featuring characters with unique voices and stories that represent the diverse class, gender and ethnic melting pot that is Lagos.I'm very intentional with my work, and I feel like, as a woman, I can only share stories about what it feels like to be a woman," Damilare Kuku said.