This question is based on Bolaji Abdullahi's Sweet Sixteen How old was Aliya in the Novel?

Analyze the question: This is a literature-in-English question on the JAMB recommended text Sweet Sixteen by Bolaji Abdullahi. It asks for Aliya's age in the novel.

Explain the concept: The title gives the clue. Sweet Sixteen is about Aliya, a young girl from northern Nigeria who is a bright, hardworking student. Her story centres on her sixteenth birthday and the challenges around it. These include the death of her father, the pressure on her to marry early, and her struggle to continue her education and pursue her dreams. The age in the title is the age of the main character.

Step-by-step solution:

1. Identify the novel: Sweet Sixteen by Bolaji Abdullahi.
2. Identify the character: Aliya, the protagonist.
3. Recall the setting: the story covers the period around her 16th birthday, which the title refers to.
4. Match this to the options: 16 is option A.

Answer: Aliya was 16 years old in the novel.

Exam tip: For questions on set texts, titles often carry clues, such as "Sweet Sixteen" pointing to age 16. Also read the novel's summary, and know the main characters, setting, themes and key events. JAMB tends to test these basic facts directly.