Culture & Society
My Love Affair with the Beautiful Game of Football
There is no denying the complicated relationship between football and women. Still, the game offers me a sense of home and a reminder that I belong to something bigger than myself. Read More...
Èkún Omi and Femi Bajulaye’s Yoruba Aesthetic Vision
Having premiered at the 2025 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase, Femi Bajulaye’s Èkún Omi presents a cinematic exploration and representation of African migrants’ realities through a deeply conscious Yoruba aesthetic. Read More...
‘The Republic of the Congo Is Not French, It Is Congolese’ Andréa Ngombet’s First Draft
Congolese writer, Andréa Ngombet, founded the Sassoufit Collective to document human rights violations in the Republic of the Congo: ‘It started as a mobilization against President Sassou Nguesso’s 2015 constitutional change and then evolved into a support structure for local voices. This vocation also aligns with my historian training: to produce, document and archive so that future generations know we resisted and that another Congo was possible.’ Read More...
5 Books That Explain Why Lagos Drives People Crazy
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of books to read to understand why Lagos drives people crazy. From a book that exposes the racial privilege that marks the city to one that explores its dangerous underground and criminal networks run by the very people who should be protecting the city, these books will make you livid about just how anything is permissible in Lagos! Read More...
What Burns in Bafut Is More Than a Place
To Cameroonians, the Bafut Palace is more than a historical landmark; it is the heart of a living culture, where rituals bind the present to the past. Yet today, the palace stands under siege, its legacy threatened by the Anglophone crisis that has engulfed parts of Cameroon. Read More...
On Misogyny and Black Women’s Hair
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. Read More...
10 African Writers and the Books That Made Them Become Writers
In our latest First Draft interview, we asked ten African writers, including Fatima Bala and Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ, about the books that inspired them to become writers. Here’s what they told us. Read More...
7 Books That Will Make You Drop Everything and Take That Trip
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of books that will make you finally take that trip. From the adventurous journeys of a Nigerian journalist who travelled the world on a motorcycle to a social activist’s daughter’s attempt to discover the country her father died fighting for, these books are just the push you need to pack your bags and explore the world. Read More...
The Un-Lonely Voice of A. Igoni Barrett
Nigerian writer, A. Igoni Barrett, points us towards an alternative vision for art. In his stories, there is an affinity for villainous arcs, embedded within colourful, everyday life. Read More...
The Problem With Age Gaps in Romantic Relationships
Age gaps in heterosexual relationships have survived the test of time. However, in the feminist pursuit of a gender-equal society, we must recognize how age disparity—though seemingly harmless—can play a significant role in reinforcing gender inequality. Read More...
