Mapping Intersectionality: Geospatial Narratives and Digital Activism in Chioma Okereke’s Water Baby

Abstract

This study uses spatial and intersectional theory to analyse Chioma Okerekes Water Baby (2024), which illustrates the realities of Makoko, Lagoss neglected waterfront community. Through its young protagonist, Baby, the novel uncovers themes of gender exclusion, resilience, and visibility in a context of displacement and creativity. Employing literary analysis in conjunction with digital tools such as Voyant and StoryMapJS, the research links Okerekes story to real locations in Makoko, such as Adogbo, Yanshiwhe and Sogunro. A field visit in October 2025 gathered visual and spatial data that affirmed the setting of the novel while highlighting environmental and health issues not addressed in the text. Some residents expressed concerns about photography without consent, reflecting ethical dilemmas in documenting marginalised areas. The findings suggest that Water Baby serves as a literary counter mapping tool that reclaims erased geographies, confronts invisibility, and preserves cultural memory, highlighting the interplay between empathy, environmental justice, and representation in Lagoss floating city.