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, Reimagining Nigerian Heritage, focuses on the unknown and underdiscussed stories that reflect the richness of Nigeria’s heritage across its different cultures.
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, Reimagining Nigerian Heritage, focuses on the unknown and underdiscussed stories that reflect the richness of Nigeria’s heritage across its different cultures.
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.
Coalition governance offers potential for enhancing democracy in theory; but the dominance of party-political funding and influence of elite and commercial interests from the minerals-energy-finance sectors risk exacerbating political and economic inequalities in South Africa.
Coalition governance offers potential for enhancing democracy in theory; but the dominance of party-political funding and influence of elite and commercial interests from the minerals-energy-finance sectors risk exacerbating political and economic inequalities in South Africa.
News of Idris Elba starring in the screen adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart has generated mixed opinions. These opinions have raised questions about why works of fiction are often treated as real, rather than imitations of reality.
Ghanaian writer and author of The Rest of You, Maame Blue, says her debut novel, Bad Love, was inspired by own dating experiences at the time of writing: ‘I wanted to explore how first love shapes who we are for everyone else we meet afterwards, and what it means to navigate a relationship for the first time.’
While Nigeria has experienced oil-fuelled growth, over-reliance on the sector and a lack of diversification have kept the economy shackled, raising critical questions about Nigeria’s ability to move beyond resource dependence.
Why are boys’ issues often used to derail the conversation when issues affecting girls are raised? Until men recognize that our true battle is against patriarchy and not feminism, we will remain stuck, unable to achieve meaningful progress.
In an era of accelerating anti-rights movements, our feminist liberation depends not on narrowing the gates of belonging, but on dismantling the very logic of exclusion that has been weaponized against all women.
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 books capture the multifaceted experiences of Black women.
How have the Ogoni people been able to come to terms with the execution of the Ogoni Nine, and deal with the unresolved environmental crisis caused by oil exploration till this day? What does the crisis in Ogoni and the Niger Delta more broadly tell us about what it means to be Nigerian? The seventh episode of the second season of The Republic is now available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Community engagement is central to the work of Burkinabé-German architect, Diébédo Francis Kéré, as he champions the use of local materials to build sustainable housing.
The Republic is proud to announce that we’ve won $250,000 in grant funding from JournalismAI and the Google News Initiative!
Nigerian pop icon Onyeka Onwenu died earlier this year. With an iridescent career spanning decades, Onwenu’s knowledge of Nigeria’s failings ran as deep as her capacity to imagine and believe in a better Nigeria.
No stranger to the tensions underlying the usage of AI in visual art, Mayara Ferrão is at the forefront of a bold artistic revolution, exploring how artists can use AI...
As artists across the world sampled Manu Dibango’s ‘Soul Makossa’ for global hits, his original contribution faded into the background—a powerful metaphor for how Cameroon’s cultural exports are often consumed...
With the establishment of regional commissions, is Nigeria inching close to true federalism or witnessing the failure of the current governance system?
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...
Now Available: Our November 2024 – January 2025 Print Issue
Featuring:
Republic editor, Wale Lawal, in conversation with Museum of West African Art director, Ore Disu; Emmanuel Esomnofu on the magic of musician, William Onyeabor; Kéchi Nne Nomu on the legendary influence of pop icon, Onyeka Onwenu, who died earlier this year; Ozoz Sokoh on the foods inspired by novelist, Buchi Emecheta; Yusuf Omotayo on the timelessness of Tunde Kelani’s Yoruba film classic, Ṣaworoìdẹ; and much more!
Now Available: Our November 2024 – January 2025 Print Issue
Featuring:
Republic editor, Wale Lawal, in conversation with Museum of West African Art director, Ore Disu; Emmanuel Esomnofu on the magic of musician, William Onyeabor; Kéchi Nne Nomu on the legendary influence of pop icon, Onyeka Onwenu, who died earlier this year; Ozoz Sokoh on the foods inspired by novelist, Buchi Emecheta; Yusuf Omotayo on the timelessness of Tunde Kelani’s Yoruba film classic, Ṣaworoìdẹ; 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.
In an era of accelerating anti-rights movements, our feminist liberation depends not on narrowing the gates of belonging, but on dismantling the very logic of exclusion that has been weaponized against all women.
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, Demas Nwoko’s Natural Synthesis, celebrates Nwoko’s artistic and architectural impact and the rise of African architecture.
We get it. Sometimes the headline stories are just not enough.
As artists across the world sampled Manu Dibango’s ‘Soul Makossa’ for global hits, his original contribution faded into the background—a powerful metaphor for how Cameroon’s cultural exports are often consumed...
To reduce overreliance on foreign streaming services like Netflix, the Nigerian film industry must prioritize investment in local distribution and a commitment to quality.
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven books that will send chills down your spine. From the story of a mansion haunted by the spirit...
Bibliophile and literary curator, Amyn Bawa-Allah, believes that reading doesn’t need a specific purpose to be valuable: ‘A lot of people think that reading, especially leisure reading, is a waste...
The influence of credit rating giants, Moody’s Investor Service, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch, in Africa is deeply rooted in colonial legacies. Their systemic biases and harmful economic implications have...
The Nigerian government recently approved an increase in the country’s minimum wage from N30,000 (approximately US$20) to N70,000 (approximately $47). While this increase aims to ease the financial strain on...
While Nigeria has experienced oil-fuelled growth, over-reliance on the sector and a lack of diversification have kept the economy shackled, raising critical questions about Nigeria’s ability to move beyond resource...
Nigeria’s Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy aims to harness the nation’s vast maritime potential but can Minister Gboyega Oyetola successfully navigate these complex waters?
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...
Africans are no strangers to conservationists, preservationists and all manner of experts who call into question Africa’s internal capabilities to safeguard sites and objects of historical value. The Great Mosque...
The historic migration of the Yoruba people from Ile-Ife has shaped Ghana’s Yoruba community through trade, faith and family ties. At the heart of this connection is Chief Brimah, an...
My maternal great-grandfathers were both directly affected by the First World War. Only one of them lived to tell his story.
With the establishment of regional commissions, is Nigeria inching close to true federalism or witnessing the failure of the current governance system?
The African continent was rife with different protests in 2024. With many of the triggers that caused the protests not attended to, 2025 may see these protests skyrocket.
The hoisting of Russian flags in Nigeria during recent protests suggests how President Tinubu’s ECOWAS foreign policy gambles might have triggered pro-Russian sentiments in Nigeria.
The low participation of electorates in the Ondo State election points to a serious problem of voter apathy and raises the question of the status and future of Nigeria’s evolving...
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...
By 06 February 2025, the University College Hospital in Ibadan had been in a blackout for 97 days. ‘Surgeries are on hold. Patients are dying. And in the best teaching...
Cameroon is currently led by the world’s oldest president, who, in recent years, has taken significant steps to ‘modernize’ the state through digital technology. With Paul Biya seeking re-election in...
The rollout of the new malaria vaccine in Cameroon has made some Cameroonians hopeful, while others worry about its true purpose.
After going viral on social media, the women-led team at sanitary pad provider, Aya Care, found themselves at the centre of a renewed discussion about menstrual hygiene in Nigeria. What...
In a deal between Tinubu’s Nigeria and Trump’s America, Trump wins. Tinubu might win too. The Nigerian people will not.
The role and perception of fact-checking in regions with fragile trust in media and government has sparked recent debates, as analysts question its effectiveness amid partisan exploitation by political actors.
At the heart of Congo’s prolonged crises is a scramble for its natural resources, similar to the precolonial scramble for Africa. All hands must be on deck this time to...
As new co-chair of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) until 2027, what does the relationship between the Republic of Congo (or Congo-Brazzaville) and China illuminate about global economic interests,...
