Niyi Osundare's 'Not My Business': Examining Indifference and Complicity

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Explore Niyi Osundare's Not My Business to understand how indifference and complicity reveal the dangers of ignoring injustice in society.

Not My Business by Niyi Osundare: A Critical Analysis

Poetry has long served as a mirror to society, exposing its virtues, moral ambiguities, and, at times, its wrongdoings. Niyi Osundare, a prominent Nigerian poet, harnesses the power of verse to unpack difficult truths about political injustice and collective responsibility. His poem “Not My Business” stands as a stark warning against social apathy, asking us to consider the dangers of watching injustice unfold from the comfort of perceived safety. Here, Osundare communicates a universal truth: when we ignore the suffering of others, we inadvertently open the door for that same suffering to visit us in turn. In this essay, I will examine how “Not My Business” explores indifference and complicity; how the poet’s use of narrative voice, structure, and language amplifies the poem’s warning; and why this message holds vital significance, not just for Nigeria, but for students and citizens within the United Kingdom and beyond.

I. Background and Context

To grasp the full impact of “Not My Business,” it is necessary to consider its backdrop. Written during an era marked by political unrest and the iron grip of military dictatorships in Nigeria, the poem draws inspiration from a world where dissent was dangerous and silence seemed the safer path. Yet, Osundare crafts his warning in such a way as to speak to any community exposed to tyranny. The echo of Pastor Martin Niemöller’s notorious words about the perils of indifference under Nazi rule is unmistakable, yet Osundare’s reimagining grounds those concerns in the specifics of a modern, post-colonial African context, making the threat both immediate and ubiquitous.

While Osundare’s portrait is rooted in the politics of Nigeria, the sentiment is far from foreign to British students. The UK has a long tradition, from Maggie Smith’s memorable warnings in Alan Bennett’s *The History Boys* to Malorie Blackman’s exploration of prejudice in *Noughts & Crosses*, of interrogating social responsibility. Studying “Not My Business” thus invites British readers to reflect on the readiness with which injustice can seep into any society, and the enduring imperative to resist complacency.

II. Narrative Voice and Perspective

Central to the poem’s haunting message is its speaker. The use of a first-person narrator, who remains unnamed and undefined, cultivates a sense of both universality and vulnerability. The speaker is everyman and no one; their attitude of disinterest – “What business of mine is it...” – feels unsettlingly familiar. Osundare crafts a cumulative narrative, moving from the fates of neighbours and acquaintances to the eventual turn of the oppressor’s eye toward the speaker. In each stanza, the narrator recounts the destruction visited upon others: “They picked Akanni up one morning,” “They came for Abani next.” Yet each time, the refrain remains: “What business of mine is it / So long they don’t take the yam from my savouring mouth?” This pattern accentuates the slow, insidious advance of tyranny—first it is someone else’s problem, until suddenly, it is inescapably your own.

Notably absent is any explicit identification of the oppressors. They are simply “they,” a faceless, shifting embodiment of authority. This deliberate vagueness ensures the poem’s resonance is not tethered to any one government or system. In this sense, Osundare’s “they” becomes a cipher into which any force—be it governmental, institutional, or societal—may be read. It is this very universality that renders the poem’s threat so disconcerting to readers in any context, whether Lagos, London, or Lagos in Merseyside.

III. Themes

Apathy and Indifference

Perhaps the most striking aspect of “Not My Business” is its depiction of apathy. The speaker’s refusal to acknowledge or protest his neighbours’ suffering is disturbingly relatable. In one respect, this is a psychological truth: fear of reprisal leads us to keep our heads down and hope trouble passes us by. Yet Osundare makes clear that this is a dangerous illusion. The repetition of the speaker’s detachment and the “so long” motif draws attention to how everyday selfishness grants tacit permission for oppression to endure.

Oppression and Tyranny

Through each vignette – Akanni’s rough arrest, Abani’s unreturned homecoming, the “soldiers came knocking” for Danladi – Osundare paints a vivid picture of arbitrary justice. These attacks are not described in detail; rather, their bluntness, their suddenness, is the point. This is what unchecked power looks like: capricious, anonymous, and utterly indifferent to individual lives.

Collective Responsibility and Solidarity

In the poem’s final twist, when the soldiers arrive for the narrator, there is no mention of others interceding. The original subjects are gone, and with them, any hope for solidarity. Osundare thereby suggests that passivity ultimately guarantees isolation. The poem’s circular logic (if I do nothing, nothing will happen to me) is exposed as tragically flawed. Only through recognising shared vulnerability and mutual obligation can a society resist oppression.

Fear and Intimidation

Fear is the instrument by which the oppressors wield control – not just over their immediate victims, but over everyone who watches in silence. Each stanza carries an undercurrent of dread, built not through explicit violence but through suggestion: the “sack of food,” “beaten / down to earth.” The audience is made to feel the growing threat, the shrinking of safe space, as the poem progresses.

Inevitability of Consequence

The poem concludes, pointedly, with the narrator sharing the fate of his unheeded compatriots. Osundare’s warning is thus unequivocal: none of us is immune; injustice does not need an invitation to come knocking at our own doors.

IV. Structure and Form

Osundare’s use of simple, direct language ensures the poem is accessible, but this simplicity belies a deeper sophistication. The conversational tone — “What business of mine is it...” — is disarming, drawing readers in and encouraging identification with the speaker before turning that identification against us. The repeated structure of the stanzas (incident, refrain, justification) mimics the cyclical nature of repression and excuse. This use of parallelism is akin to the techniques found in Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry, ensuring ideas are hammered home through repetition and rhythm.

Pauses, enjambment, and line length all serve to control the poem’s pace and tension. The abruptness of the stanza breaks invites a sense of incompleteness, of stories unfinished or lives cut short. The narrative almost tumbles into itself, amplifying the urgency in the final lines.

V. Language and Literary Devices

Imagery in “Not My Business” is vivid yet economical. Chains, “half-baked loaves,” and the “yam” are all potent symbols. The yam, a staple in many African diets, becomes emblematic of personal sustenance and comfort. It is the anchor of the speaker’s self-interest (“the yam from my savouring mouth”), representing all that we are unwilling to sacrifice for the greater good. When the soldiers “stuffed him down the belly / of a waiting jeep,” the image renders both the violence of the regime and the utter helplessness of the victim.

Tone and mood shift perceptibly from indifference to dread. Early, the speaker’s rationale is delivered almost casually—a matter of course. But as danger encroaches, the words gather a hurried, staccato quality, underscoring the sense of impending doom.

Irony is central: the speaker who so carefully distances himself from other people’s pain ends up in precisely the predicament he ignored. This poetic justice is a direct rebuke to passivity.

Osundare’s deployment of rhythm and sound is also subtle. Alliteration sharpens certain images—“bloody boots,” “beaten / down to earth”—while assonance slows the pace, inviting reflection. Contrast is stark: the ordinary, domestic image of “savouring” yam against the abrupt intrusions of violence, shattering any illusion of safety.

VI. Broader Social and Moral Implications

The lessons of “Not My Business” reverberate far beyond its lines. Osundare’s poem is both an indictment and an invitation: it indicts those who cloak themselves in silence, and invites readers to act as witnesses and defenders rather than bystanders. In contemporary Britain, the poem’s relevance is undiminished—be it in the context of bullying in schools (where silence can condemn victims to further abuse) or broader societal debates around racism, homelessness, or state overreach.

The poem echoes the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and connects with literature in the British tradition, such as George Orwell’s *Nineteen Eighty-Four*, which also warns of the terrors that arise when individuals become docile or complicit.

For students, learning from “Not My Business” is not simply an academic exercise; it is a call to develop moral courage. Civic responsibility is forged in the choices we make when confronted with injustice, whether major or minor. The study of such poetry is thus a vital component of British education, equipping young people for thoughtful, active citizenship in an uncertain world.

VII. Conclusion

Through stark storytelling, carefully chosen language, and an unflinching examination of human nature, Niyi Osundare’s “Not My Business” exposes the tragic cost of indifference. The poem’s structure, its everyman narrator, and the universality of its oppressors serve to remind us that silence is not neutrality, but complicity. As we have seen, the poem urges collective responsibility and warns of the inescapable reach of injustice. Its resonance in the British context, as elsewhere, is clear: only by standing up together against wrongs can we safeguard the freedom and dignity of all. Ultimately, Osundare’s poem asks us to look inward and to confront whether, when oppression comes knocking, we will speak up before it is, quite literally, our own business.

Frequently Asked Questions about AI Learning

Answers curated by our team of academic experts

What is the main message of Niyi Osundare's Not My Business?

The poem warns that ignoring the suffering of others leads to shared vulnerability. It stresses the importance of collective responsibility to resist injustice in any society.

How does Not My Business by Niyi Osundare explore indifference and complicity?

The poem shows how apathy towards others' misfortunes enables oppression. The speaker's repeated disinterest highlights the dangers of social complacency.

What historical context influenced Niyi Osundare's Not My Business?

The poem was shaped by political unrest and military dictatorships in Nigeria. It reflects broader concerns about tyranny and the risks of remaining silent.

How does the narrative voice in Not My Business affect its impact?

The use of an unnamed first-person narrator creates universality and immediacy. This approach allows readers to see themselves in the speaker's position.

Why is Not My Business relevant to students in the United Kingdom?

The poem encourages UK students to reflect on their own responsibility against injustice. Its themes of complicity and social responsibility are universal and timeless.

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