Basi and Company

by Ken Saro-Wiwa

Basi and Company was the first book of the hugely successful Nigerian comedy television series, which at its peak was watched by an estimated 30 million Nigerians. The New York Times described the show as 'Nigeria's hottest comedy show, [that] seems to have struck a chord because it lampoons modern Nigeria's get-rich-quick mentality'. Basi is an exceptional man, in keeping with the best traditions of tricksters in Yoruba folklore, satirising the get-rich-quick mentality. The author translated the folktale into a contemporary idiom, believing that this format accorded better with African narrative methods.

82 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1988

About the author

Kenule "Ken" Beeson Saro Wiwa was a Nigerian writer, television producer, environmental activist, and winner of the Right Livelihood Award and the Goldman Environmental Prize.
Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose homeland, Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta has been targeted for crude oil extraction since the 1950s and which has suffered extreme environmental damage from decades of indiscriminate petroleum waste dumping. Initially as spokesperson, and then as President, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Saro-Wiwa led a nonviolent campaign against environmental degradation of the land and waters of Ogoniland by the operations of the multinational petroleum industry, especially the Royal Dutch Shell company.
He was also an outspoken critic of the Nigerian government, which he viewed as reluctant to enforce environmental regulations on the foreign petroleum companies operating in the area.
At the peak of his non-violent campaign, Saro-Wiwa was arrested, hastily tried by a special military tribunal, and hanged in 1995 by the military government of General Sani Abacha, all on charges widely viewed as entirely politically motivated and completely unfounded. His execution provoked international outrage and resulted in Nigeria's suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations for over three years.

Reviews

[Damien Dsoul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little kid growing up in the 80s when the TV show 'Basi and Company' came on. It was something kids of my generation, including parents, gravitated to. The humour was fresh, self-deprecating, and enlightening. Every week, we tuned in to watch Basi's high jinks, especially his antagonistic rivalry with Madam, who always quipped her famous line whenever she was in a good mood: 'It's a matter of cash!'

It is too bad that such a show has faded from memory from the Nigerian mindset.

[Keem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious.

[Adedoyin Adesoye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and Filled with Drama. It reminded me of the soap operas I watched growing up like Face 2 face, Fuji house of commotion etc. I'll definitely watch it if it is ever made into a stage play or a TV soap.

[Nere Onaiwu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know there was a book. I only knew this from my childhood on TV. And it was soo interesting seeing all these characters on TV from the eyes of a child. Mr. B's famous slogan ''To be a millionaire, think like a millionaire.''
I had a good laugh reading this.

[Nozipho Zuma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny. The fact that there is some Pidgin English in there made me love reading it even more. I would read again and again and again.

[Adetscolly]

I lyk d book so much..it makes me relaxed wen I'm bored or moody