Suya started in the north of Nigeria. The Hausa people, who live in the north, brought it south as they travelled and traded. Today you can buy suya almost everywhere in Nigeria - from a man on the corner of a busy street, smoke from his grill rising into the evening air.
The secret of suya is the spice mix, called 'yaji'. It is made from ground peanuts, ginger, garlic, paprika, salt, and a little hot pepper. The peanuts give it a slightly sweet, nutty taste. Every mai suya (suya seller) has their own slightly different yaji - and people often have a favourite they go back to again and again.
Suya is usually a snack or a small meal. You don't sit down at a fancy table. You stand at the grill, wait while it's being made fresh, then take it with you - to share with friends, to take to a football match, to eat after school. It is what some people would call 'street food' - food made to eat as you go.
Lots of countries have their own version of grilled meat on a stick: Japanese yakitori, Indonesian satay, Turkish kebab, Greek souvlaki. Nigerian suya is one of the most exciting because of its peanut and pepper spice mix - a taste you don't really find anywhere else.