What do you think?
Rate this book
My Mind Is No Longer Here
Four men from different corners of Nigerian society find their fates tied to one Yinka. Drawn by desperation to leave Nigeria, the men are drawn to Yinka - a self-styled consultant who acts as the front man for a powerful human trafficking syndicate. The men come from distinct corners of Nigeria’s Chidi and Donatus - two unemployed graduates; Haruna - a doctor who could not save his ailing mother; and Osahon - a fugitive seeking freedom from his past become entangled in Yinka’s world, as they seek a better life abroad.
‘My Mind Is No Longer Here’ tells the story of Chidi, Donatus, Haruna and Osahon - revealing their desperation that leads them to flee Nigeria. Osahon – a man who is haunted by a dark past, meets Donatus, a graduate obsessed with a single-minded resolve to be better than his father; Haruna, the doctor who could not save his mother and Chidi – an unemployed graduate who wants to become wealthy at any cost, find their worlds entangled with Yinka, the front man for ‘The Organisation’, Nigeria’s powerful drug and human trafficking syndicate. ‘My Mind Is No Longer Here’ is the story of a nation in the midst of decay, which leaves its citizens prey to unscrupulous vultures. This e-book reveals the story of men willing to risk it all in a bid to chase dreams which are beyond their reach.
‘My Mind Is No Longer Here’ tells the story of Chidi, Donatus, Haruna and Osahon - revealing their desperation that leads them to flee Nigeria. Osahon – a man who is haunted by a dark past, meets Donatus, a graduate obsessed with a single-minded resolve to be better than his father; Haruna, the doctor who could not save his mother and Chidi – an unemployed graduate who wants to become wealthy at any cost, find their worlds entangled with Yinka, the front man for ‘The Organisation’, Nigeria’s powerful drug and human trafficking syndicate. ‘My Mind Is No Longer Here’ is the story of a nation in the midst of decay, which leaves its citizens prey to unscrupulous vultures. This e-book reveals the story of men willing to risk it all in a bid to chase dreams which are beyond their reach.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2017
3 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 2, 2020
The ending sort of dragged, but overall I liked it because the ending was not what I predicted in anyway!
December 23, 2021
The story follows four young men whose mind is literally not with Nigeria anymore. In their own way they have faced life’s challenges and given up on their country which seem to have failed them. One person who is a photo journalist but has a degree in human anatomy quit his job in a news agency after having unpaid salaries for months. The second Osaho who fled from his town Benin to Lagos because he was accused of a murder he did not commit, he was a cult boy and took pride in it, what the hell did he expect? The third chidi who is a final year student of the university is tired of life, he wants to quit school and hustle for money because to him certificate never help anyone. I agree 🤣 I mean who am I not to agree, you can’t use your certificate to pay for food na, free the boy. The last man Haruna, a doctor. Who lost his mum to a disease. Gave up on life because he couldn’t even save her and other patients because hospitals were not equipped enough. He called it avoidable deaths. Gave up and wanted to travel outside the country to be a better doctor.
These four gentlemen somehow find themselves connected to this man Yinka who promises to take them abroad free of charge, just that they would work and pay The Organisation back later.
This book does not have an easy start. You would be pressured to drop the book after the first 4 pages but please reader soldier on! It gets interesting. The text too doesn’t help, I read it in hard copy and the text was so discouraging but like I said, good soldier , don’t stop, soldier on.
Also if you have listened to Adekunle golds ire, you would understand this book, the one they said the grass is greener on the other side, that’s what I thought before I took the ride… that’s what this book is about. The organization was apparently a drug and human trafficking rig. Well for some of the boys except Osahon the universe was worked in their favour.
This book is about I don’t know but yes it says appreciate where you are but I’m not sure I would appreciate where I am simply because I almost got involved in drugs or trafficking, I’d try and try till I finally leave the country because Eeii I am soffering😂.
If you want read it, if you want don’t. But I read it and here is what I think
These four gentlemen somehow find themselves connected to this man Yinka who promises to take them abroad free of charge, just that they would work and pay The Organisation back later.
This book does not have an easy start. You would be pressured to drop the book after the first 4 pages but please reader soldier on! It gets interesting. The text too doesn’t help, I read it in hard copy and the text was so discouraging but like I said, good soldier , don’t stop, soldier on.
Also if you have listened to Adekunle golds ire, you would understand this book, the one they said the grass is greener on the other side, that’s what I thought before I took the ride… that’s what this book is about. The organization was apparently a drug and human trafficking rig. Well for some of the boys except Osahon the universe was worked in their favour.
This book is about I don’t know but yes it says appreciate where you are but I’m not sure I would appreciate where I am simply because I almost got involved in drugs or trafficking, I’d try and try till I finally leave the country because Eeii I am soffering😂.
If you want read it, if you want don’t. But I read it and here is what I think
October 31, 2017
My Mind Is No Longer Here' is a beautiful tour de force by Sylva Nze Ifedigbo. Juggling the stories of four desperate Nigerian youths, he illuminates the Nigerian struggle with wit and wisdom.
Hopeless, frustrated and pissed off at the state of the country, Donatus, Chidi, Osahon and Haruna, want to travel to "the abroad" at all cost.
Unknown to them, the guy shipping them off under the guise of "travel lottery" is using them to peddle and traffic drugs.
And so the drama begins lol
This book is a good read which will inevitably lead to discussions on human and drug trafficking in Nigeria, youth obsession with travelling to Europe and their frustration with the system.
I also like this book because the author's writing is simple and striking, without being pretentious.
Hopeless, frustrated and pissed off at the state of the country, Donatus, Chidi, Osahon and Haruna, want to travel to "the abroad" at all cost.
Unknown to them, the guy shipping them off under the guise of "travel lottery" is using them to peddle and traffic drugs.
And so the drama begins lol
This book is a good read which will inevitably lead to discussions on human and drug trafficking in Nigeria, youth obsession with travelling to Europe and their frustration with the system.
I also like this book because the author's writing is simple and striking, without being pretentious.
February 22, 2019
My Mind Is No Longer Here follows the story of four individuals; Donatus, Osahon, Chidi and Haruna all from various backgrounds, social classes and ideologies. They have a common goal, their dream to leave Nigeria for good for greener pastures*.
A supposed traveling consultant, Yinka, promises to help them with the process for free. Four individuals who had no idea of the other existence now share a common fate. They are all ambitious, having tasted poverty, loss, bad governance, unemployment at various degrees. They see just one light at the end of the tunnel, leaving Nigeria.
Yinka, the consultant is connected to a deeper stream, and hopes to wade these individuals across the stream. Life happens to all of them and nothing really goes according to plan. My Mind Is No Longer Here is a story of greed, ambition, desperation, struggle, survival, love, lust and second chances.
After reading My Mind Is No Longer Here, I had to really ask myself how I felt about the book. I liked how I was able to read a book that had different narratives of Nigerian men in a story. It highlighted some underground dealings in Nigeria.
My Mind Is No Longer Here did not make me excited, it was not thrilling and I cannot say I struggled to finish it because I was tad interested in how everything was going end. I was expecting it to suck me in at a point, drive me to the edge but it appeared casual.
There were parts that made me giggle, some I was astounded and others I was like ‘okay’. My Mind Is No Longer Here reminds of Nollywood few years ago. It tells Nigerian stories maybe a little stereotypical here and there but it brings something to the table especially in the Nollywood scene.
A supposed traveling consultant, Yinka, promises to help them with the process for free. Four individuals who had no idea of the other existence now share a common fate. They are all ambitious, having tasted poverty, loss, bad governance, unemployment at various degrees. They see just one light at the end of the tunnel, leaving Nigeria.
Yinka, the consultant is connected to a deeper stream, and hopes to wade these individuals across the stream. Life happens to all of them and nothing really goes according to plan. My Mind Is No Longer Here is a story of greed, ambition, desperation, struggle, survival, love, lust and second chances.
After reading My Mind Is No Longer Here, I had to really ask myself how I felt about the book. I liked how I was able to read a book that had different narratives of Nigerian men in a story. It highlighted some underground dealings in Nigeria.
My Mind Is No Longer Here did not make me excited, it was not thrilling and I cannot say I struggled to finish it because I was tad interested in how everything was going end. I was expecting it to suck me in at a point, drive me to the edge but it appeared casual.
There were parts that made me giggle, some I was astounded and others I was like ‘okay’. My Mind Is No Longer Here reminds of Nollywood few years ago. It tells Nigerian stories maybe a little stereotypical here and there but it brings something to the table especially in the Nollywood scene.
July 26, 2020
Ifedigbo’s skillful management of suspense sweetens my belly with the revealation that the Otunba whose ‘magnanimity’ is to see them leave Nigeria is the publisher whose nonchalant attitude to staff welfare led to Donatus’ resignation. It is a very good twist to the tale, which is practically impossible for a reader to guess. Good job!
I like Ifedigbo’s sentencing. One of my favourite sentences in the book is “Weeding someone else’s farm.” There are many nice similes, such as “like an old man with scoliosis”, and “like a medieval castle in a movie”. You will also encounter nice lines, such as “emerging stomach subdued by daily treadmills sessions”.
The novel also has the right dosage of humour that keeps you turning the pages. The sex is equally of the right dosage and you are allowed to complete the process in your mind.
The book shows that literature is a reflection of the society. Aside the major theme of the young generation, which feels disillusioned and wants to check out of the country at all costs, there are sub-themes, such as police randomly picking up innocent people at scenes of crime and only releasing them after bribe is paid; the problem with the medical sector in the country; and how a dutiful wife becomes a slut all because her husband can no longer pick the bills.
Ifedigbo’s handling of Otunba’s character shows us that many of the rich people around are agents of filthy lucre gathered through the sweat and blood of the poor, the desperate and the greedy.
I dare say My Mind is No Longer Here is a damn good novel with characters you will remember long after closing page 312.
I like Ifedigbo’s sentencing. One of my favourite sentences in the book is “Weeding someone else’s farm.” There are many nice similes, such as “like an old man with scoliosis”, and “like a medieval castle in a movie”. You will also encounter nice lines, such as “emerging stomach subdued by daily treadmills sessions”.
The novel also has the right dosage of humour that keeps you turning the pages. The sex is equally of the right dosage and you are allowed to complete the process in your mind.
The book shows that literature is a reflection of the society. Aside the major theme of the young generation, which feels disillusioned and wants to check out of the country at all costs, there are sub-themes, such as police randomly picking up innocent people at scenes of crime and only releasing them after bribe is paid; the problem with the medical sector in the country; and how a dutiful wife becomes a slut all because her husband can no longer pick the bills.
Ifedigbo’s handling of Otunba’s character shows us that many of the rich people around are agents of filthy lucre gathered through the sweat and blood of the poor, the desperate and the greedy.
I dare say My Mind is No Longer Here is a damn good novel with characters you will remember long after closing page 312.
July 30, 2025
First I’ll have to scold myself for no reading it months ago when I got this book.
"My Mind Is No Longer Here" by Ifedigbo Nze Sylva is a gripping novel that explores the desperation and hopelessness faced by four Nigerian men, Donatus, Chidi, Osahon, and Haruna, who are driven to flee their country in search of greener pastures. Their lives become entangled with Yinka, a self-styled consultant who fronts a powerful human trafficking syndicate.
The book sheds light on the harsh realities of Nigerian society, including corruption, unemployment, and the get-rich-quick mentality that often leads young people down a path of destruction. Through the characters' experiences, Sylva masterfully weaves together themes of ambition, greed, love, and survival.
One of the strengths of the book is its well-developed characters, each with their unique struggles and motivations. The writing style is engaging, and the use of Nigerian languages and pidgin adds to the story's authenticity.
While some readers have noted that the plot can be a bit slow at times, the book's unexpected ending makes it hard to put down. Overall, "My Mind Is No Longer Here" is a thought-provoking read that offers a glimpse into the lives of young Nigerians struggling to find their place in the world.
"My Mind Is No Longer Here" by Ifedigbo Nze Sylva is a gripping novel that explores the desperation and hopelessness faced by four Nigerian men, Donatus, Chidi, Osahon, and Haruna, who are driven to flee their country in search of greener pastures. Their lives become entangled with Yinka, a self-styled consultant who fronts a powerful human trafficking syndicate.
The book sheds light on the harsh realities of Nigerian society, including corruption, unemployment, and the get-rich-quick mentality that often leads young people down a path of destruction. Through the characters' experiences, Sylva masterfully weaves together themes of ambition, greed, love, and survival.
One of the strengths of the book is its well-developed characters, each with their unique struggles and motivations. The writing style is engaging, and the use of Nigerian languages and pidgin adds to the story's authenticity.
While some readers have noted that the plot can be a bit slow at times, the book's unexpected ending makes it hard to put down. Overall, "My Mind Is No Longer Here" is a thought-provoking read that offers a glimpse into the lives of young Nigerians struggling to find their place in the world.
August 20, 2019
3.5 stars. Narrated in the third person, the book tells the story of all five main characters, Yinka, Donatus, Haruna, Chidi and Osahon in alternating chapters. Each chapter tells each man’s story and how it intertwines with the others’ experiences. Read our full review here https://literaryeverything.com/2019/0...
June 6, 2022
I enjoyed this story.
It was well written and full of humour.
A tale about 4 young men, frustrated by events going on in the country, have resolved to leave Nigeria and travel abroad by any means necessary.
They encounter a man whose aim is to turn them into drug mules.
I loved the well rounded characters and it was fun reading each of their paths in their journey to “japa”
It was well written and full of humour.
A tale about 4 young men, frustrated by events going on in the country, have resolved to leave Nigeria and travel abroad by any means necessary.
They encounter a man whose aim is to turn them into drug mules.
I loved the well rounded characters and it was fun reading each of their paths in their journey to “japa”
September 27, 2018
Interesting read.
The storyline was interesting enough that it kept me from putting the book down. The ending was unexpected, which is not a bad thing, but I felt like it ended prematurely. What happened to osahon?
The storyline was interesting enough that it kept me from putting the book down. The ending was unexpected, which is not a bad thing, but I felt like it ended prematurely. What happened to osahon?
December 27, 2023
Excellent book about four guys desperate to leave Nigeria
April 14, 2025
This was such an enlightened read. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though the beginning was quite slow. I really liked the it as well as the ending
May 28, 2024
My mind is no Longer Here, like the characters, is very goal-oriented
My Mind is no Longer here by Nze Ifedigbo Sylva narrates the ambition of four men; Donatus who has just recently quit his dead-end job as a journalistic photographer at Eagle Post, Chidi, a university undergraduate who is hungry for his real destiny, his “akaraka” which he believes is not within the shores of Nigeria. Osahon, the third member of the group, is an ex-cult member on the run from the police in Benin and lastly, Haruna, who struggles to find fulfilment in his job as a doctor compounded with the grief that befalls him after the death of his mother.
These four men in different ways meet Yinka. A boisterous man, who describes himself as a solver of problems. He promises these men gateway to their future in Germany. They would in return run some errands for him when they arrive.
The story is told through the perspective of each of these five men, each chapter taken up by one of them. The first and last chapters are taken by Donatus. His story begins as he quits his job and ponders his next move. He then finds Yinkas card amongst his stash of business cards and has a flash back to when they met at an event donates was covering for the paper. Donatus closes the story, when the four men gather to ruminate on their adventure with Yinka.
The cast are a truly diverse crew from the three main tribes in Nigeria and one from Benin. Nze doesn’t spit out stereotypes in penning these characters but provides a well-detailed narration of their experiences from their different walks of life that inform their mannerisms even that which is seen to be stereotypical. A good example is Chidi, who the group nicknames “cash money” Chidi plays in some way into the Igbo stereotype but looking into the narrative Nze has placed, we see that Chidi looks to his elders, the grown men who surround him, who have made it big all without an education. His angst to begin life and live as Paul (his friend who also made his riches with Yinka) drives him and his decisions, not just a stereotype.
My Mind Is No Longer Here like the characters is a goal-oriented story. The four men aim to leave the country, some additionally aim to evade the remuneration required to Yinka after the deed is done. Yinka aims to start his own organization and try out a more efficient means of running the business. The characters and the plot are not sidestepped in any way. From the beginning to the end the plot drove headfast to its climax, there were no filler scenes and other characters only served to enhance the main characters individual stories. These characters were expertly introduced and quickly dropped off as soon as they were not needed.
The women sadly fell into this trap of efficiency that Nze employed, however, the efficiency made the book very hard to put down. Each chapter, each line, each word left me hungry for the next probing each possible end result in my mind deduced.
I believe, whichever way the story of these boys ended, it would be a tad bit cliché, it would be most beneficial to the reader to focus on the journey that Nze employed to get us there. And that journey was exquisite. From the nervous tick, Yinka developed as the D-day began to his shock as he faced the collapse of his dream.
We are not left alone after all the heightened emotions of that chapter, the four boys come together at the end to compare notes on all that took place, a friendship blossoming from their adventure. Donatus from whose eyes we partake in this resolution notices a rainbow as he leaves the beer parlour, a rainbow similar to the one which he saw after he quit his job at the beginning of the book. He had come to attribute the rainbow to mean the start of a new chapter of his life and after that adventure, a rebirth of hope is exactly what was due to him.
My main take away from this book is the self-interest that drives human beings. The story being told from the lens of each of the men gave not just a look into the thought patterns and thought processes some men may have in Nigeria but also the self-interest that seems to drive the society and dare I say, the world.
The adventure these men go on marks a phase, a snippet of their lives, they have a past made known to us at the start of the book, and a future disclosed at the end. The adventure opened some doors for some of the men like Donatus who now had an opportunity to put his degree to use as a result of his new connection to Haruna and convinced some to take care of unfinished business like Chidi how resolved to give school another chance. It reminds us that life is a series of events, of adventures that progress and interlock into the next. And to be ready to put the past behind and look to the next rainbow of hope.
My Mind is no Longer here by Nze Ifedigbo Sylva narrates the ambition of four men; Donatus who has just recently quit his dead-end job as a journalistic photographer at Eagle Post, Chidi, a university undergraduate who is hungry for his real destiny, his “akaraka” which he believes is not within the shores of Nigeria. Osahon, the third member of the group, is an ex-cult member on the run from the police in Benin and lastly, Haruna, who struggles to find fulfilment in his job as a doctor compounded with the grief that befalls him after the death of his mother.
These four men in different ways meet Yinka. A boisterous man, who describes himself as a solver of problems. He promises these men gateway to their future in Germany. They would in return run some errands for him when they arrive.
The story is told through the perspective of each of these five men, each chapter taken up by one of them. The first and last chapters are taken by Donatus. His story begins as he quits his job and ponders his next move. He then finds Yinkas card amongst his stash of business cards and has a flash back to when they met at an event donates was covering for the paper. Donatus closes the story, when the four men gather to ruminate on their adventure with Yinka.
The cast are a truly diverse crew from the three main tribes in Nigeria and one from Benin. Nze doesn’t spit out stereotypes in penning these characters but provides a well-detailed narration of their experiences from their different walks of life that inform their mannerisms even that which is seen to be stereotypical. A good example is Chidi, who the group nicknames “cash money” Chidi plays in some way into the Igbo stereotype but looking into the narrative Nze has placed, we see that Chidi looks to his elders, the grown men who surround him, who have made it big all without an education. His angst to begin life and live as Paul (his friend who also made his riches with Yinka) drives him and his decisions, not just a stereotype.
My Mind Is No Longer Here like the characters is a goal-oriented story. The four men aim to leave the country, some additionally aim to evade the remuneration required to Yinka after the deed is done. Yinka aims to start his own organization and try out a more efficient means of running the business. The characters and the plot are not sidestepped in any way. From the beginning to the end the plot drove headfast to its climax, there were no filler scenes and other characters only served to enhance the main characters individual stories. These characters were expertly introduced and quickly dropped off as soon as they were not needed.
The women sadly fell into this trap of efficiency that Nze employed, however, the efficiency made the book very hard to put down. Each chapter, each line, each word left me hungry for the next probing each possible end result in my mind deduced.
I believe, whichever way the story of these boys ended, it would be a tad bit cliché, it would be most beneficial to the reader to focus on the journey that Nze employed to get us there. And that journey was exquisite. From the nervous tick, Yinka developed as the D-day began to his shock as he faced the collapse of his dream.
We are not left alone after all the heightened emotions of that chapter, the four boys come together at the end to compare notes on all that took place, a friendship blossoming from their adventure. Donatus from whose eyes we partake in this resolution notices a rainbow as he leaves the beer parlour, a rainbow similar to the one which he saw after he quit his job at the beginning of the book. He had come to attribute the rainbow to mean the start of a new chapter of his life and after that adventure, a rebirth of hope is exactly what was due to him.
My main take away from this book is the self-interest that drives human beings. The story being told from the lens of each of the men gave not just a look into the thought patterns and thought processes some men may have in Nigeria but also the self-interest that seems to drive the society and dare I say, the world.
The adventure these men go on marks a phase, a snippet of their lives, they have a past made known to us at the start of the book, and a future disclosed at the end. The adventure opened some doors for some of the men like Donatus who now had an opportunity to put his degree to use as a result of his new connection to Haruna and convinced some to take care of unfinished business like Chidi how resolved to give school another chance. It reminds us that life is a series of events, of adventures that progress and interlock into the next. And to be ready to put the past behind and look to the next rainbow of hope.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews