Demographical Sonnets.part five

(Sonnets 6–25 continue to explore ancient sites like Igbo-Ukwu, Daura, Katsina, Zaria, Borgu, Ngazargamu, Owo, Ijebu-Ode, Ilesha, Badagry, Lokoja, and the lost ruins of the Nok civilization.)

Part II: 25 Sonnets of Modern Nigerian Cities (2026)

These poems focus on the "Skyline of Hope," the "15-Minute City," and the "Digital Hub."

Abuja: The Planned Dream

Beneath the shadow of the Zuma Rock,

A city rose from maps and careful thought;

Where modern dreams and ancient echoes shock,

And unity from diverse tribes is sought.

The wide avenues stretch toward the light,

Through Maitama’s green and Garki’s hum;

The National Mosque glows through the velvet night,

While church bells call the city’s souls to come.

No longer just a patch of central ground,

But 2026’s heartbeat, clean and wide;

Where political paths and power are found,

And national pride has nowhere left to hide.

A capital that holds the center fast,

To heal the fractures of the troubled past.

Lagos: The Kinetic Ocean

The Third Mainland Bridge is a concrete vein,

That pumps the hustle of a million feet;

In Eko’s heart, there is no fear of rain,

Only the drive to make the day complete.

From Lekki’s glass to Mushin’s vibrant street,

The "Yellow Bus" is king of every road;

Where tech startups and old traditions meet,

And data streams from every high abode.

In 2026, the shoreline’s new and bold,

With Atlantic dreams rising from the sand;

A story of the new and brave, not old,

The commercial anchor of the western land.

The city never sleeps, it only thrives,

Within the fire of twenty million lives.

Port Harcourt: The Garden’s New Bloom

The Garden City wears a coat of oil,

And lush green parks beside the river’s edge;

Where men extract the riches of the soil,

And keep the nation’s economic pledge.

But in the streets where "bole" smoke is sweet,

A newer industry begins to rise;

Where digital artists and the poets meet,

With southern fire burning in their eyes.

The 15-minute city’s plan takes hold,

Connecting creeks with bridges made of light;

A future that is bright and brave and bold,

To drive away the shadows of the night.

From refinery flares to the software hub,

The city finds its pulse in every club.

Ibadan: The Brown-Roofed Modernity

The "city of a thousand brown-zinc roofs",

Has traded slow-time for a faster pace;

The railway tracks provide the iron proofs,

That modern transport finds its proper place.

From Cocoa House to malls of gleaming stone,

The old University still stands with pride;

Where seeds of intellectual thought were sown,

And history and the future now reside.

The sprawling hills are mapped with fiber lines,

Connecting ancient clans to global trade;

While Agodi’s green and quiet beauty shines,

Within the progress that the years have made.

A giant waking from a storied sleep,

With modern promises it means to keep.