OUR BEST WRITING OF 2023
Every year, The Republic publishes the most ambitious writing focused on Africa, from news and analysis to long-form features.
Support our award-winning coverage by subscribing today.
Read our best writing of 2023.
Our latest issue, Who Dey Fear Donald Trump?, focuses on Africa’s place in the era of multipolarity amid Trump-led anti-globalization.
Purchase an annual print + digital subscription, and get unlimited access to The Republic. We ship worldwide.
Every year, The Republic publishes the most ambitious writing focused on Africa, from news and analysis to long-form features.
Support our award-winning coverage by subscribing today.
Our print + digital subscription is 50% off.
Our latest issue, Who Dey Fear Donald Trump?, focuses on Africa’s place in the era of multipolarity amid Trump-led anti-globalization.
Purchase an annual print + digital subscription, and get unlimited access to The Republic. We ship worldwide.
Our top analyses, debates, ideas and stories of the week.
President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy and push to recalibrate the dollar has affected global capital flows, especially economies tethered to the dollar system. In Nigeria’s fuel sector, this manifests as dollar hegemony meets subsidy removal and state retreat, giving rise to a new private monopoly.
As domestic unrest in Kenya grows, President William Ruto’s carefully crafted global image is unravelling. Internal discontent is eroding Ruto’s international standing, which can potentially damage Kenya’s position as a regional sanctuary.
Much has been said about Temi Dollface, the creative multitasker and musical pioneer who challenged stereotypes about what was possible for women in the Nigerian music industry. Yet, the most common refrain is that she was an artist before her time.
Azubuike Obi writes about the passing of his father and the weight of trying to step into his shoes as expected by society.
The beginning of the second half of the year signals plans for Lagos’ glitzy Detty December, a seasonal spectacle that generates short-term profits for a privileged few while deepening inequality, fuelling inflation and missing opportunities for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Africa’s ability to shape its climate future in a multipolar world depends on deepening feminist, decolonial and intersectional approaches to foreign policy, development cooperation and justice.
Zambian-American writer and author of The Lions’ Den, Iris Mwanza, is surprised by the rise of authoritarianism in the West: ‘The rise of authoritarianism in the West and how the institutional checks and balances designed to protect against it have failed us so quickly and easily have been very perplexing. This is particularly evident in the United States, and I am having a hard time unpacking exactly how, in a democracy, we can vote away our rights.’
For many Black women, the pressure to straighten their hair is not just an aesthetic choice, nor only a necessity for survival in professional spaces, but a burden imposed by colonial and patriarchal standards of beauty.
Halimatu Iddrisu paints Muslim women and their voices. She entrusts their faceless bodies with self-expression and the freedom to engage viewers in a dialogue about dressing choices and the hijab—veiling in Islam—that transcends language.
The Christian supremacist groups defending ‘African family values’ are heirs of the forces that destroyed Africa’s traditions of gender diversity, communal kinship and spiritual practices. Their campaigns today are not a defence of culture, family or sovereignty, but a second wave of colonization.
Untruth, injustice and the Nigerian way. A lesson in the difference between a ‘human’ connected Nigerian man and the everyday Nigerian/woman as reflected in the Ibom Air and Comfort Emmanson debacle.
African societies have, over centuries, had to deal with a cleavage of their present from their pasts by foreign powers. In the face of such cultural imperialism, how invested are their leaders in reclaiming Africa’s plundered historical heritage?
The death of former president Muhammadu Buhari has put President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a precarious political position where he risks losing the support of the north, which can cost him re-election in 2027.
In the age of artificial intelligence, can Africa recode its global positioning?
Nigeria’s worsening insecurity cannot be curtailed by border fences alone, as suggested by the chief of defence staff, but by the government investing in border communities, strengthening local infrastructure and deepening cross-border cooperation with neighbouring countries.
As a West African seeking to move freely within my own region, I was subjected to extortion, while non-Africans enjoyed the very freedom that should inherently be ours.
Our 2025 August Reading list features the most important books so far this year based on recommendations from The Republic’s editors and contributors.
As a West African seeking to move freely within my own region, I was subjected to extortion, while non-Africans enjoyed the very freedom that should inherently be ours.
For the first time since we officially launched in 2018, The Republic is opening up its platform to advertisers. But we’re not doing it the usual way.
The Republic is pleased to announce the Black Atlantic Editorial Fellowship, a six-month fellowship programme designed towards the commissioning, writing and curation of stories rooted in Blackness and the African experience.
Amid Trump’s disruptive return, Africa isn’t just reacting—it’s recalibrating. The continent has the opportunity to turn Washington’s unpredictability into a strategic advantage.
Much has been said about Temi Dollface, the creative multitasker and musical pioneer who challenged stereotypes about what was possible for women in the Nigerian music industry. Yet, the most...
The death of former president Muhammadu Buhari has put President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a precarious political position where he risks losing the support of the north, which can cost...
The Christian supremacist groups defending ‘African family values’ are heirs of the forces that destroyed Africa’s traditions of gender diversity, communal kinship and spiritual practices. Their campaigns today are not...
Azubuike Obi writes about the passing of his father and the weight of trying to step into his shoes as expected by society.
Now Available: Our May – July 2025 Print Issue
Featuring:
Republic editor, Wale Lawal, in conversation with celebrated artist, Sokari Douglas Camp; our first fiction stories selected and edited by writer Chigozie Obioma; Abel B. S. Gaiya on African cooperation in the age of anti-globalization; Chido Nyaruwata on Africa’s climate future; Andrea Ngombet on Africa’s opportunity in the Trumpian age; Blessing Simura on the politics of foreign aid; Eberechukwu Ezike on the uncertainty of the AfCFTA, Maggie LoWilla on activist and politician, Naledi Pandor; art, comics, quizzes and much more!
Now Available: Our May – July 2025 Print Issue
Featuring:
Republic editor, Wale Lawal, in conversation with celebrated artist, Sokari Douglas Camp; our first fiction stories selected and edited by writer Chigozie Obioma; Abel B. S. Gaiya on African cooperation in the age of anti-globalization; Chido Nyaruwata on Africa’s climate future; Andrea Ngombet on Africa’s opportunity in the Trumpian age; Blessing Simura on the politics of foreign aid; Eberechukwu Ezike on the uncertainty of the AfCFTA, Maggie LoWilla on activist and politician, Naledi Pandor; art, comics, quizzes and much more!
For whom is the transformative potential of feminism new? Our latest issue, An African Feminist Manifesto, considers the imperatives for Black African feminism(s) in our uniquely uncertain times, plus more.
Untruth, injustice and the Nigerian way. A lesson in the difference between a ‘human’ connected Nigerian man and the everyday Nigerian/woman as reflected in the Ibom Air and Comfort Emmanson debacle.
To encounter a body in collage is to momentarily believe the human form is physically and even gesturally incapable of coming up against its own limitations. Frida Orupabo’s collages do this so well. They haunt the viewer with fond, familiar and unexpected shapes.
Though the presence of Abrahamic tradition within global Black consciousness often finds expression through male-dominated narratives, a closer examination uncovers Black women at the very centres of the most path-altering moments in the tradition, offering analogues with which Black women have interpreted, reimagined and reclaimed their past, present, and future.
In 1974, Buchi Emecheta’s novel, Second-Class Citizen, was published. While this novel has inspired a generation of African writers, the themes Emecheta explored—such as Black immigrant life in the UK and the ills of a patriarchal society—remain as relevant today as ever.
Our latest issue, Who Dey Fear Donald Trump?, assesses Africa’s global positioning in the new Trumpian era of multipolarity.
We get it. Sometimes the headline stories are just not enough.
Much has been said about Temi Dollface, the creative multitasker and musical pioneer who challenged stereotypes about what was possible for women in the Nigerian music industry. Yet, the most...
Azubuike Obi writes about the passing of his father and the weight of trying to step into his shoes as expected by society.
Zambian-American writer and author of The Lions’ Den, Iris Mwanza, is surprised by the rise of authoritarianism in the West: ‘The rise of authoritarianism in the West and how the...
Our 2025 August Reading list features the most important books so far this year based on recommendations from The Republic’s editors and contributors.
President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy and push to recalibrate the dollar has affected global capital flows, especially economies tethered to the dollar system. In Nigeria’s fuel sector, this manifests as...
Nigeria’s restrictive financial policy is hindering payments for its rising digital workforce, keeping many locked out of the global economy.
The beginning of the second half of the year signals plans for Lagos’ glitzy Detty December, a seasonal spectacle that generates short-term profits for a privileged few while deepening inequality,...
Nigeria is the fifth largest producer of palm oil in the world although it used to be number one. Despite being a major producer, its population relies on imported palm...
African societies have, over centuries, had to deal with a cleavage of their present from their pasts by foreign powers. In the face of such cultural imperialism, how invested are...
The Gadaa system of the Oromo people of Kenya and Ethiopia offers an indigenous method of governance in Africa, as the adopted Western democracy seems to be failing the continent.
The world’s closest capital cities—Kinshasa and Brazzaville—sit within two modern-day states, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, that once reigned as a united Kongo...
To celebrate Women’s History Month, Nigerian writer and editor, Angel Nduka-Nwosu, compiles a list of books by Black women that belong on your reading list this month and beyond. These...
The death of former president Muhammadu Buhari has put President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a precarious political position where he risks losing the support of the north, which can cost...
Understanding the different responses to Buhari’s death helps us understand his legacy on a divided nation.
There is currently a debate about the role President Bola Ahmed Tinubu played in the emergence of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, as president. While there is no clear-cut answer to...
Nigeria’s worsening insecurity cannot be curtailed by border fences alone, as suggested by the chief of defence staff, but by the government investing in border communities, strengthening local infrastructure and...
We all grew up hearing about ‘June 12’, but how well do you know what really happened? Let’s find out together. The first episode of The Republic is now available...
This episode will establish M. K. O. Abiola as a major actor. It will examine his personal life; his initial foray into business and politics; and areas of his life...
In this episode, we take a look at the key election candidates and what platforms they ran under. We compare their profiles and proposed agendas for Nigeria, highlighting what political...
After eight years of anticipation, and eight years of promises from General Ibrahim Babangida’s junta, Nigerians were finally about to have their say at the ballot box. In this week’s...
In the age of artificial intelligence, can Africa recode its global positioning?
As Nigeria embraces its digital future, inclusion—not just innovation—must lead. Can this transformation reach all Nigerians or just the privileged few?
The founder of PARIWO and creator of the social media platform, neno, Ann Daramola, discusses building technology by and for African women and reimagining digital platforms that centre Black African...
Across Africa, millions in the informal sector remain uninsured—not from apathy, but due to the exclusionary nature of health systems. In Tanzania and beyond, digital innovations offer promising models for...
As a West African seeking to move freely within my own region, I was subjected to extortion, while non-Africans enjoyed the very freedom that should inherently be ours.
The growing anti-immigration policies in the West against Africans are a wake-up call for Africa to focus on developing its continent by using its resources to better the lives of...
Nigeria’s silence in the global community contrasts markedly with South Africa’s vibrancy, begging us to ask if Pretoria’s influence has eclipsed Abuja’s regional leadership.
Between 1960 and 1966, the French colonial regime secretly detonated four atmospheric and 13 underground nuclear bombs and conducted tests of nuclear technologies in the Algerian Sahara. This secret atomic...
