The Lebanese in Nigeria form one of the country’s most dynamic diaspora communities, with a fascinating history marked by notable commercial success and subtle political influence.
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vol. 8, no. 2
NIGERIA IMAGINARY
Our latest issue, Nigeria Imaginary, considers the restorative potential of Nigerian art and invites readers to explore the Nigeria Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, plus more.
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vol. 8, no. 2
nigeria imaginary
Our latest issue, Nigeria Imaginary, considers the restorative potential of Nigerian art and invites readers to explore the Nigeria Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, plus more.
Purchase an annual print + digital subscription, and get unlimited access to The Republic. We ship worldwide.
This Week’s Essentials
Our top analyses, debates, ideas and stories of the week.
the latest online / the ministry of MEMORIES
THE MINISTRY OF ARTS / BOOKS DEPT.
A Manual on the Use of Subtext and Subplot
Following its publication, Kike Ojo’s Fire in the Wind enjoyed only brief publicity. One might wonder why this was the case, but upon closer inspection, her use of subtext and subplot may offer an explanation.
THE MINISTRY OF ARTS / FILM DEPT.
​​​The Crisis of Modern Existence
Kemi Adetiba’s To Kill a Monkey is a compelling demonstration of cinema’s ability to dramatize the damaged condition of modernity. Through its unflinching portrayal of individual disillusionment within systemic failures, the series channels the anxieties of a postcolonial, neoliberal world where identity and agency are constantly under siege.
THE MINISTRY OF BUSINESS X THE ECONOMY
A Tale of Two Economies
What can we learn from Nigeria’s economic decline and South Africa’s relative economic stability?
THE MINISTRY OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
​​​The Body, the Veil and the Muslim Woman
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 MINISTRY OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS
Muhammadu Buhari and the Politics of Memory
Understanding the different responses to Buhari’s death helps us understand his legacy on a divided nation.
THE MINISTRY OF WORLD AFFAIRS
Digging for Gold in Zimbabwe
During Zimbabwe’s economic turmoil of the late 2000s, my sister and I navigated a land defined by scarcity and resilience as we experienced the collapse of Zimbabwe’s economy, our community and our family.Â
the MINISTRY OF MEMORIES
Looking for Gaskiya Corporation
On a humid afternoon in May 2023, the photographer Eslah Yusuf and I​​ searched for the building that housed Northern Nigeria’s oldest printing press and publishing house.
THE REPUBLIC INTERVIEWS / FIRST DRAFT
‘The Human Spirit Naturally Resists Oppression’ Chibueze Darlington Anuonye’s First Draft
Editor of Who Gave The Order: The History of a People’s Movement, Chibueze Darlington Anuonye, believes that 20 October 2020 stands as an indictment of the Nigerian conscience and urges Nigerians to remember that day: ‘What happened at the Lekki Toll Gate could be described as a country waging war against its citizens.’
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Wrappers of Rivers
In documenting and displaying the intricate cultures of wrapper tying and wrapper wearing in Rivers State, Aleruchi Kinika, the photographer behind the series, ‘Wrappers of Rivers’, says she ‘wanted to tell the story of the wrappers and Rivers people as one.’
REPUBLIC READING
7 Books to Read if You Didn’t Study Nigerian History in School
In 1977, historian Obaro Ikime delivered a lecture, ‘History and the Changing Cultures of Nigeria’, responding to Alhaji Shetima Ali Munguno’s disapproval of what he saw at the University of Calabar. Ikime argued that one of Nigeria’s greatest problems is our ‘inadequate knowledge of history and the ways of life of the various groups that make up Nigeria.’ As Nigeria turns 65, it is important to return to that history.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
A Yoruba Woman’s Notes on Language as a Barrier, Bridge and Bedrock
‘But how disturbing it is that my own language, one filled with so much beauty and melody, would be considered foreign to me. Why did I not think in my language? Why would my default language be one that was imposed by brutal colonialists on my ancestors’ lips?’
HEROES PAST
Who Will Bury Mr. Taiwo?
It took the Nigerian government 51 years to formally honour Taiwo Akinkunmi, the man who designed the Nigerian flag. Now, months after his death, his body remains in a morgue as his family awaits a state burial.
From Nigeria With Love
‘I don’t recall the exact moment it dawned on me that almost everyone I called a friend had left Nigeria, but the realization was shattering. Having a friend leave you...
A Yoruba Woman’s Notes on Language as a Barrier, Bridge and Bedrock
‘But how disturbing it is that my own language, one filled with so much beauty and melody, would be considered foreign to me. Why did I not think in my...
How African Women Are Fighting Climate Capitalism Today
African women are refusing to remain passive victims or data points in corporate climate monitoring. Instead, they are retooling their embodied knowledge of environmental destruction to build continental intelligence systems...
Is the United Nations Going South?
With waning multilateralism, the United Nations is experimenting with new geographies, relocating agencies to cities in the global South. Can a strategy born of austerity also reshape legitimacy and influence?
THE LATEST IN PRINT
VOL. 8, NO. 2
NIGERIA IMAGINARY
NIGERIA IMAGINARY
Now Available: Our May – July 2024 Print Issue
Featuring:Â
Wale Lawal in conversation with Aindrea Emelife, curator of the Nigeria Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale; Kéchi Nne Nnomu on Toyin Ojih Odutola; Chimezie Chika on Ndidi Dike; MobólúwajÃdìde Joseph on Yinka Shonibare; Yusuf Omotayo on the man who designed Nigeria’s flag; fiction from ’Pemi Aguda; plus more.
THE LATEST IN PRINT
VOL. 8, NO. 2
NIGERIA IMAGINARY
NIGERIA IMAGINARY
Now Available: Our May – July 2024 Print Issue
Featuring:Â
Wale Lawal in conversation with Aindrea Emelife, curator of the Nigeria Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale; Kéchi Nne Nnomu on Toyin Ojih Odutola; Chimezie Chika on Ndidi Dike; MobólúwajÃdìde Joseph on Yinka Shonibare; Yusuf Omotayo on the man who designed Nigeria’s flag; fiction from ’Pemi Aguda; plus more.
vol.8 no.1 / EDITOR'S FOREWORD
‘An African Feminist Manifesto’
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.
COVER ESSAY
The Afterlives of #EndSARS
Member of the Feminist Coalition and organizer of the #ArewaMeToo and #NorthNormal movements, Fakhrriyyah Hashim, reflects on #EndSARS five years after ‘Feminists against SARS’ redefined national consciousness on police violence.
THE MINISTRY OF ARTs / PHOTO DEPT.
The Disruptive Potential of Frida Orupabo’s Metamorphic 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.
THE MINISTRY OF MEMORIES
A Womanist Reading of African Women in Abrahamic Tradition
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.
THE MINISTRY OF ARTs / BOOKS DEPT.
50 Years of Buchi Emecheta’s Second-Class Citizen
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.
A Yoruba Woman’s Notes on Language as a Barrier, Bridge and Bedrock
‘But how disturbing it is that my own language, one filled with so much beauty and melody, would be considered foreign to me. Why did I not think in my language? Why would my default language be one that was imposed by brutal colonialists on my ancestors’ lips?’
continue reading
We get it. Sometimes the headline stories are just not enough.
ARTS & CULTURE
From Nigeria With Love
‘I don’t recall the exact moment it dawned on me that almost everyone I called a friend had left Nigeria, but the realization was shattering. Having a friend leave you...
A Yoruba Woman’s Notes on Language as a Barrier, Bridge and Bedrock
‘But how disturbing it is that my own language, one filled with so much beauty and melody, would be considered foreign to me. Why did I not think in my...
Finding Rest on All Souls’ Day
‘We are at your grave. Everyone is crying, everyone is wishing you goodbye. All I have are paralyzed emotions depicted by a numb countenance. When the saints go marching in...
Leaving Nigeria After #EndSARS
I knew policemen as neighbours, as fathers of schoolmates, as bullies, as murderers. Even though the protest was my first, it was nothing new. They were killing and harassing young...
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BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY
Is the Decline of Nigeria’s Nightlife a Blessing in Disguise?
Tinubu’s economic reforms have had an unintended consequence: the collapse of Nigeria’s once-vibrant nightlife. In its wake, a surprising twist has emerged. Young Nigerians are channelling their frustrations from dance...
The Vanishing Dream of Nigeria’s Middle Class
Rice costs more, the naira buys less, and the middle class is checking out. From golden-age dreams post-independence to present japa-fuelled exits, this essay traces how Nigeria’s middle class rose,...
The New Chapter in Nigeria’s Tax Story
Nigeria will begin 2026 with its biggest tax overhaul in decades. But what exactly is changing and will the new tax regime worsen or improve Nigeria’s economic and fiscal future?
Saving Nigeria, the Piggyvest Way
In today’s digital age, history-making lightbulb moments don’t always strike in boardrooms or after soul-searching mountain hikes. Sometimes, they unfold casually on the X timeline. Piggyvest, now one of Africa’s...
HISTORY
The Betrayal of Mandela’s Apartheid Liberation Movement
Although Nelson Mandela’s presidency fostered hope for a permanent end to the woes of the apartheid era, South Africa’s non-white population have come to realize that they are still under...
Is This the Federation Nnamdi Azikiwe Fought For?
Nigeria celebrates its 65th independence anniversary during a period of uninterrupted 26 years of democratic governance. Despite this commendable sustenance of democracy, the country struggles to unite as ethnic tension...
7 Books to Read if You Didn’t Study Nigerian History in School
In 1977, historian Obaro Ikime delivered a lecture, ‘History and the Changing Cultures of Nigeria’, responding to Alhaji Shetima Ali Munguno’s disapproval of what he saw at the University of...
The Rocky Independence of Congo-Brazzaville
Since its independence from France 65 years ago, the Republic of Congo has remained profoundly shaped by its Marxist-Leninist past, marked by authoritarian resilience and intimate Chinese connections.
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POLITICS
Wi-Fi Warriors and Homeland Dreams
In a country failed by peace agreements, connection didn’t disappear—it went online. South Sudan’s digital diaspora challenges the glossy myths of Silicon Valley and insists that innovation thrives not only...
Angola’s ‘Inorganic’ Techno-Democracy
In Angola, the intersection of technology and governance is forging an unconventional democratic landscape—one that emerges spontaneously and outside traditional political structures. While the regime has long maintained control through...
The Recalibrated Presidency of Brice Oligui Nguema
In April 2025, Brice Oligui Nguema was formally elected as president of the Gabonese Republic. Two years on from the coup d’état that overthrew the Bongo dynasty in August 2023,...
Tinubu’s Rough Road to the 2027 Elections Post-Buhari’s Death
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...
RADIO REPUBLIC
The Republic: Season 1, Episode 1 Transcript IBB, the Evil Genius
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...
The Republic: Season 1, Episode 2 Transcript MKO: The Man Nigeria Waited to See
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...
The Republic: Season 1, Episode 3 Transcript Two Sides of the Same Coin
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...
The Republic: Season 1, Episode 4 Transcript June 12: Freest and Fairest of Them All
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...
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
An African Manual for Debugging Empire
Our latest issue, An African Manual for Debugging Empire, confronts the erasure of Africans in global tech debates and highlights the ways the continent is actively shaping, contesting and redefining...
The Geopolitics of Digital Technology in Africa
As the world leans into the fourth industrial revolution, Africa has become a frontier for the geopolitical power play of China and the United States. Amid this, African governments must...
‘Who Do We Imagine AI Is Built By and Built For?’
With AI proponents promising to ‘save’ Africa, Nanjala Nyabola asks an urgent question: what happens when a continent’s future is outsourced to someone else’s imagination? We discuss the politics of...
The Dark Matter of Genetics
From his mother’s community chemist shop in Enugu to a Toronto lab, Nigerian pharmacist Chukwunonso Nwabufo is building a device that could save lives by revealing how your genes respond...
WORLD AFFAIRS
Rethinking the United Nations’ Role in Africa’s Development
The United Nations’ celebration of its 80th anniversary provides an opportunity to investigate the institution’s involvement in Africa and analyze an age-old academic question that has made its way into...
Is the United Nations Going South?
With waning multilateralism, the United Nations is experimenting with new geographies, relocating agencies to cities in the global South. Can a strategy born of austerity also reshape legitimacy and influence?
After Bandung
Exactly 70 years ago, African and Asian states gathered to imagine a world beyond empire. Their dream of solidarity—its failures and achievements—still haunts global politics.
Liberia’s Complex Relationship with the United States
Since its founding in 1847, the story of Africa’s oldest republic, Liberia, has been entwined with that of the United States. Centuries later, in 2025, is Liberia’s relationship with America...
