Idris Elba, the British actor, is set to executive produce and star in the TV adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart‘.

The late Nigerian author first published the book in 1958.

‘Things Fall Apart’ is Achebe’s debut novel and the first book of the iconic literary mind’s African Trilogy, followed by ‘No Longer at Ease’ and ‘Arrow of God’.

The novel depicts the pre-colonial life in Igboland and the subsequent appearance of European missionaries and colonial forces in the late 19th century.

Watch the classic below:

The book was first brought to life as a movie in 1971 and a mini-series in 1987 with ace actor Pete Edochie playing Okonkwo, the novel’s protagonist, who was famous in the villages of Umuofia for being a wrestling champion.

According to Variety, a TV series adaptation of ‘Things Fall Apart’ is in development by the American production studio, A24.

Elba will executive produce the series alongside Gina Carter under their newly launched 22Summers production company.

Also among the executive producers are David Oyelowo, Amanda N’Duka, Ben Forkner, Dayo Ogunyemi and Achebe Masterworks.

Idris will take on the role of Edohie as Okonkwo in the new series.

Things Fall Apart is the captivating story of Okonkwo (Elba), one of literature’s most iconic characters—a fearless African warrior and leader who is resolute about preserving his people and culture. As British colonizers disrupt his world, Okonkwo’s struggle to maintain power and tradition spirals into a heart-wrenching confrontation. His fierce resolve, a fatal flaw in the face of unstoppable change, makes him an unforgettable character, embodying the tension between strength, vulnerability and adaptability.

The news outlet reports that no writer is currently attached to the project, nor is it currently set up at a streaming service or network.

‘Things Fall Apart’ is seen as an archetypal modern African novel in English and one of the first such novels to receive global critical acclaim. It has been translated into over 60 languages and is a staple book in schools throughout Africa.

The novel is widely studied in English-speaking countries worldwide. It is also widely regarded as one of the greatest novels ever written.

Malian singer Rokia Traore will be extradited from Italy to Belgium over an outstanding two-year prison sentence handed down in a child custody dispute, her lawyer said Thursday.

The singer and guitarist was sentenced in absentia by a Brussels court last year on charges of parental abduction.

She was arrested in Italy in June and challenged the extradition order, but a Rome court ruled Thursday that “Rokia will have to be transferred to Belgium within 10 days from today,” lawyer Maddalena Claudia Del Re told AFP.

Traore had been arrested in Paris in March 2020 on a European arrest warrant over a Belgian court ruling ordering her to return her daughter, now aged nine, to the child’s Belgian father.

She defied a ban on leaving France and flew home to Mali several months later, before she could be sent to Belgium.

A lawyer for the child’s father said he had not had any contact with his daughter, who lives in Mali, since she turned four.

The lawyer said the father had offered to draw up a new custody agreement with Traore, validated by Malian and Belgian courts, to “find a way out of this nightmare and guarantee their child a future with two parents”.

Nigerian comedian Ali Baba has raised concerns about the serious issues facing Nigeria, especially in the northern region.

In an Instagram post yetserday, he shared a video showing many schoolchildren in the North who were out of school and begging on the streets, calling for urgent action.

Ali Baba recalled discussions he had over five years ago with friends from top universities. They created a WhatsApp group to brainstorm solutions for Nigeria’s problems. He noticed that some members from the North were sensitive when it came to discussing the high number of out-of-school children.

He wrote in part, “Many, who believed, like me, that the failure of the government to properly educate the young children from birth to age 10 was going to be a time bomb waiting to explode. We agreed it was happening in the south, too, but the rate and number of out-of-school children were becoming alarming, especially in the northern parts of Nigeria.”

“This woman from the North protested about the discussions. Vehemently. Then, at another time, time the matter on the front burner was grazing. Where my position was, the rearing and trading in livestock was a personal business…” he added.

He noted that the discussions took a different turn after a video of children begging for food was sent to the group.

“Then, a video surfaced, showing hundreds of children begging for food. Not in an IDP camp oooo. Inside Kano. As soon as we started discussing the issue, a certain Northern lady pounced on me as one who always has the negative narrative,” the comic continued.

Ali Baba highlighted the responsibility of Nigeria’s elite to address the educational and social issues facing the country, especially in the North.

“I kuku left the group. Now, only the Northern people are complaining about what I complained about. But I don’t feel vindicated, I just realised that some of the Northern elites are responsible for the way things are. The way I see it, the number of kids as seen I the posted video is mind-boggling. And it’s not 10 years yet, like I warned. Dem go feel it!” he concluded.

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