The novel's temporal setting is defined by two major historical events that reflect the shifting political and economic relationship between the two nations:

The "backstory" and initial separation of the siblings occur during the late 1960s in Ghana. In 1969, the Ghanaian government under Kofi Abrefa Busia enacted the Aliens Compliance Order, which forced non-citizens (including many Nigerians who had lived there for generations) to leave the country. This is when Mama Orojo and her parents were forced back to Nigeria, leaving baby Nii behind in Ghana.

The "present day" events of the novel take place primarily in 1983. During this time, the situation reversed: Nigeria was experiencing economic hardship, and the government of Shehu Shagari ordered the mass deportation of over one million West African migrants, mostly Ghanaians, under the "Ghana Must Go" executive order. Nii Moses Tackie's journey to Nigeria to find his roots occurs against this backdrop.