Culture & Society
Performative or Genuine? Unpacking the Motivations Behind Pan-African Collaborations in Afrobeats
In addition to the rise in collaboration between Afrobeats artists and western musicians, there has been increased ‘Pan-African’ collaborations with older, more traditional African artists. Are these collaborations motivated by pursuit of international accolades or genuine creative expression? Read More...
‘I Tend to Write Wildly and Freely’ Yewande Omotoso’s First Draft
Nigerian author, Yewande Omotoso’s most recent novel, An Unusual Grief, was inspired by her experience of loss. Read More...
A ‘Soft and Spiritual Way’ The Restrained Dreaminess of Isabel Okoro’s Normatopia
In response to the violence Black people around the world routinely face, Nigerian photographer, Isabel Okoro has been situating her work in what she terms ‘normatopia’. A normatopia is normal, not perfect; a middle ground between the harshness of reality and the dreaminess of utopias. Read More...
Against All Odds Zlatan Ibile’s ‘Omo Ologo’ and the Triumph of Perseverance
Zlatan Ibile dreamed of football, wealth, and escaping Ikorodu, with no thought for music. Today, music is his key to global fame and fortune. From Ikorodu’s concrete, a flower blooms against all odds. Read More...
What Happened on June 12? Introducing The Republic’s Podcast About June 12
The Republic is a narrative podcast series exploring pivotal Nigerian and broader African historical events and figures. In the first season, host Wale Lawal traces the significance of the June 12 1993 election, 30 years on. June 12, which marked the political rise of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale ‘M. K. O.’ Abiola and culminated in his arrest and death, no longer feels inanimate. Why was it such a pivotal moment? What did it feel like to experience it? And why has it remained engrained in Nigeria’s political consciousness? Read More...
The Imminent Rise of ‘Podcastars’ How Digital Oral Storytelling is Influencing Culture in Nigeria
The proliferation of podcasts in Nigeria has given rise to a new class of luminaries, who position themselves as promoters of Nigerian popular culture. ‘Podcastars’ are building formidable personal brands and social capital through the podcasts they host—but how far can they go? Read More...
The Leaking Basket Why You, and Your New President, Should Care About Benue State
The state of the agricultural sector in Benue State is a microcosm of the challenges and opportunities facing the broader sector nationally. Hence, solving the food crisis in Benue could go some way towards solving the food crisis in Nigeria. Read More...
Ama Ata Aidoo’s Illimitable Voice Ama Ata Aidoo (1942-2023)
Ama Ata Aidoo, whose works include The Dilemma of a Ghost (1962), Our Sister Killjoy (1977), Someone Talking to Sometime (1986), and Changes: A Love Story (1991), has died aged 81. The Ghanaian novelist, poet, and playwright was a renowned feminist whose works celebrated the lives of Ghanaian and African women. Read More...
What Makes a Guinness World Record Official? The Convoluted Mechanics of Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records is a global authority in the complex realm of record-breaking achievements. The organization is only partially immune to ethical shortcomings. Hilda Baci’s recent record-breaking attempt offers an opportunity to peer into what makes a world record ‘official’ according to Guinness. Read More...
‘Being an Editor Is a Magical Work’ Chimeka Garricks’ First Draft
Nigerian author and editor, Chimeka Garricks, didn’t intend for the Niger-Delta crisis to be the main theme of his debut novel, Tomorrow Died Yesterday. ‘I tried to write the truth as I know it. To show that the issues are complex, hued with plenty of grey, and that all major players are complicit in varying ways to the dysfunction,’ he told us in our latest, First Draft interview. Read More...
