A Lagos-based poet, ‘Joba Ojelabi, has released his latest work “The Ones Before You,” a poetry collection published by Noirledge Publishing. The new book, now available in book stores nationwide and digital platforms like Amazon, explores different themes such as love, memory, and human connection through confessional poetry.

Ojelabi, a trained pharmacist, said his background in marketing, sciences, and the arts influenced his unique perspective and approach to writing.

He also added that the collection moves beyond mere recollection of experiences.

“It offers a profound meditation on relationships, free from the burden of judgment, embracing instead the comfort found in shared moments. While deeply personal, these poems resonate universally, inviting readers to find themselves within their lines,” he said.

Tade Ipadeola, an award-winning author praised Ojelabi’s work.

“In these poems, music and meaning converge, wistfulness intertwines with wisdom, and love pulses with courtly restraint. ’Jọba Ọ̀jẹ̀labí’s poetry is luminous and liminal, resonating with deep emotional clarity.”

Also, Olubunmi Familoni, the author of The Road Does Not End and a previous Nigeria Prize for Literature winner, described the collection’s musicality and themes of love. “These are songs of love, loneliness, and praise—echoes of Osundare, if you will.”

The author of Affection & Other Accidents, Dami Ajayi said Ojelabi fuses the “lyricism of pharmaceutical sciences, the depth of Yoruba wisdom, and a mischievous playfulness” in his work.