Lagos

Lagos provides the context for many of the author’s anecdotal observations of how gender operates on a small scale. The author, who is Nigerian, mentions that when she is back home she spends most of her time in Lagos, which is the “largest city and commercial hub of the country” (14). The author is both proud and critical of Lagos. For instance, she praises Lagos for having “more energy than London, [and] more entrepreneurial spirit than New York” (15). Yet, she is critical of the city for its dismissive, patronizing attitude towards women, especially young, single women.

Nsukka

As the city where the author grew up, Nsukka is another location important to this text. The author’s second anecdote describes Nsukka for her readers as a “university town in south-eastern Nigeria” (11). The fact that Nsukka is a “university town,” and thus a kind of intellectual hub in Nigeria...