Johnson Nte'ne, since 1997

Johnson Nte'ne is a talented writer and poet born in 1997 to Obolo parents. His childhood was marked by relocations between Uyo, Port Harcourt, and Calabar, where he cultivated his passion for literature at the esteemed Nigerian Christian Institute before pursuing a degree in English at the University of Uyo.

After completing his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abeokuta, Johnson worked as a customer service representative at Ibom Airlines for two years. He later pursued further studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.

Born for greatness

In 2012, he debuted his poetry collection, Lines of Mystery, published by his alma mater. This work garnered him a position in the prestigious 2015 NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature masterclass, where he was mentored by distinguished authors such as Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo, Prof. Kimberly Reynolds, and Dr. Helen Limon.

His debut novel, Two Left Legs, released in March 2025, represents a decade of creative effort, initially shared with friends and classmates before reaching a wider audience.

A fervent lover of literature and Afrobeats, Johnson is also a keen observer of societal issues, particularly advocating against the limitations placed on children. He is multilingual, fluent in Obolo, Ibibio, conversational Igbo, basic French, and English, all of which enrich his narrative style. Readers of Two Left Legs will certainly notice the influence of his diverse cultural background in his writing.