Poems We Chanted: A Nigerian 90s Childhood

by Akinbode Omotayo

In 1990s Nigeria, children’s poems and rhymes blended local culture, humor, and values, often chanted during school assemblies, classroom games, and home routines. These verses—ranging from motivational chants like “Good, Better, Best” to playful circle games like “Who Is in the Garden?”—reflected everyday life, food, weather, and national pride. Together, they nurtured creativity, discipline, and identity in a generation of young Nigerians.