Black Joy Through Food: The Vegan Nigerian

I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of a Nigerian plant-based diet. It was hard for me to imagine how it would work considering so many of our dishes contain meats of all kinds as well as fish, crayfish, and other seafood. To get the inside scoop, I spent an afternoon with Tomi Makanjuola, the Nigerian-born, London-based creator of The Vegan Nigerian. It’s a platform where Makanjuola shares traditional Nigerian recipes adapted for veganism. 

On becoming a vegan

Makanjuola’s journey to being a vegan started nearly a decade ago when she found herself sluggish and lacking in energy while consuming meals rich in processed meats and dairy. She instinctively cut all animal products from her diet and experienced increased energy and improved digestion. After doing further research into veganism by reading books and watching documentaries, she concluded that becoming a vegan was the way forward. In her own words, “Once I had seen all of that, I just couldn’t unsee it, particularly in relation to animal cruelty.”