BLACK LADDER, A NEW BOOK BY AYO AKINFE LAUNCHES IN LONDON

Last Tuesday evening saw the coming together of London’s Nigerian community as they turned out in honour of celebrated journalist, author, socio-political commentator and analyst, Ayo Akinfe on the ocassion of the launching of his much anticipated and long awaited novel, BLACK LADDER.

The book, which according to Ayo, took the great part of 2 years to complete, is AYo’s second novel. His first Fuelling the Delta Fires was published in 2014.

Black ladder is the story of a Suji, a young Briton of African descent. Due to a combination of good fortune and hard work, Suji manages to climb the corporate ladder and make headway in the white-dominated City of London financial district. By the age of 35, he becomes an executive of a merchant bank and in the process, creates history as the City’s first African born director. This is the story of the unspoken and hidden odds stacked against Black Britons in the British private sector.

The book, a 100,000 word work from the master words-smith, exposes the reality behind the rhetoric about equal opportunity, black empowerment and social inclusion. Like most other black professionals, Suji finds out that whether you get a job or not, or how you fare in it, depends not on government policy but on your boss.

Suji also doscovers fast that his success attracts the envy of his white colleagues who use every trick to undermine him. He also discovers to his horror, that a lot of smiles in the office are masks hiding bare faced hatred that lies just beneath the surface.

18216904_10212590744461960_3936485288122193249_o

18208969_10212590746262005_6491316200209108488_o

18222556_10212594652799666_7246981358946109015_n

18193288_10212590732421659_2205475536729103287_o

18216459_10212590750862120_6371825338387872244_o

18238121_10212590749222079_9134147627166782729_o

18278106_10212590748502061_7508494007271343768_o

18209075_10212590745221979_512459321578675805_o

18193158_10212590750262105_6429675029330366727_o

18193386_10212590747462035_3503826338760935513_o

The book launch which also coincided with Ayo’s birthday was well attended by big community stalwarts such as the Chairman of the British African Business Association – David Smith, former Chairman CANUK and Director NDDIS – Chief Bimbo Roberts-Folayan, Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas – former Mayor, and current Mayor, London Borough of Hackney, Mrs Sade Etti, Jenny Okafor, Miss Debbie Ariyo OBE (Founder, AFRUCA), African Cultural Icon – Ayan De First, Mrs Ronke Udofia, Dr & Mrs Boma Douglas, Charles Khiran, Alex Benson – Nollywood movie Producer, and many other community leaders and activists, comrades and top shots from the media, events, entertainment and Nollywood industries.