Beyoncé, the internet and my relationship with money.
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.
vol. 8, no. 1
An African Feminist Manifesto
Our latest issue, An African Feminist Manifesto, considers the imperatives for Black African feminism(s) in our uniquely uncertain times. plus more.
Save up to 50% by purchasing 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.
vol. 8, no. 1
An African Feminist Manifesto
Our latest issue, An African Feminist Manifesto, considers the imperatives for Black African feminism(s) in our uniquely uncertain times. plus more.
Save up to 50% by purchasing 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 SCIENCE
Aya Care’s Sudden Fame
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 did this attention mean for their future growth?
THE MINISTRY OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
End NYSC Already
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) began as a conciliatory post-war programme aimed at nation-building. But now, it is a softer, but no less punitive drafting system with adverse consequences on young people and Nigeria’s finances.
THE MINISTRY OF MEMORIES
African Philosophy Cannot Be a Thing
We must be careful in our attempt to define African philosophy conceptually. Because to define it is to limit it—and to limit it is to conserve it.
the MINISTRY OF BUSINESS X THE ECONOMY
THE MINISTRY OF ARTS / MUSIC DEPT.
the MINISTRY OF MEMORIES
Haile Selassie I and Pan-African Diplomacy
Perhaps a latecomer to pan-African ideology, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I was nevertheless unique in his contribution to pan-Africanism. He urged all those working for a united global Africa to consider pan-Africanism as not an end unto itself, but an indispensable means toward a broader horizon of a new humanity free from imperialism and exploitation.
THE MINISTRY OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS
The Accidental Man of the People
Senator Ningi’s suspension by the Senate after he raised allegations of budget padding has made him a hero in the eyes of Nigerians. But it would be unwise to distance Ningi from the National Assembly establishment, a system he has been part of and helped cultivate since 1999.
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 WORLD AFFAIRS
Nairobi in a Song A Boy, His Father, and Old Tunes
‘To Kenyans, 2023 feels like the year the country dies. But within this Rhumba and Jazz establishment in Nairobi’s Tao, it could as well be 1970,’ Ogwa writes. ‘Perched behind a corner table with two cold bottles of beer sweating before me, I pass a quintessential moment, watching folks of all ages waltz elegantly to Cabo Verde Barefoot Diva, Cesária Évora’s “Partida”... For me, old music is not just entertainment, it’s a compass with which I always find my way back to me.’
THE REPUBLIC INTERVIEWS / FIRST DRAFT
‘I Know a Poem Is Complete When I Am Both Unsettled and at Peace’ Theresa Lola’s First Draft
Nigerian poet and author of In Search of Equilibrium, Theresa Lola, believes a poem is complete when she is both unsettled and at peace.
REPUBLIC READING
7 African Books Every Food Lover Should Read
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven African books for every food lover. These books explore food across Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Senegal, Ethiopia, as well as the African diaspora.
in case you missed it
‘I Know a Poem Is Complete When I Am Both Unsettled and at Peace’ Theresa Lola’s First Draft
Nigerian poet and author of In Search of Equilibrium, Theresa Lola, believes a poem is complete when she is both unsettled and at peace.
African Philosophy Cannot Be a Thing
We must be careful in our attempt to define African philosophy conceptually. Because to define it is to limit it—and to limit it is to conserve it.
End NYSC Already
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) began as a conciliatory post-war programme aimed at nation-building. But now, it is a softer, but no less punitive drafting system with adverse consequences...
THE LATEST IN PRINT
VOL. 8, NO. 1
AN AFRICAN FEMINIST MANIFESTO
AN AFRICAN FEMINIST MANIFESTO
Now Available: Our February – April 2024 Print Issue
Featuring:
Ololade Faniyi on decolonial African feminism; Kéchi Nne Nnomu on Frida Orupabo; Kai Mora on African Women in Abrahamic history; Peace Onafuye on Buchi Emecheta; plus more.
THE LATEST IN PRINT
VOL. 8, NO. 1
AN AFRICAN FEMINIST MANIFESTO
AN AFRICAN FEMINIST MANIFESTO
Now Available: Our February – April 2024 Print Issue
Featuring:
Ololade Faniyi on decolonial African feminism; Kéchi Nne Nnomu on Frida Orupabo; Kai Mora on African Women in Abrahamic history; Peace Onafuye on Buchi Emecheta; 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
An African Feminist Manifesto
Decolonial African feminist thought is equal parts rage and radical care. It is a collaborative and unbiased call to action that insists on justice, self-determination, and autonomy, building on the legacies of foremothers to create our lifelines for our future and the ones that come after us.
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.
Strange Departures
A 40-Year-Old Japa Story
From the ‘Checking Out’ of the 80s to today’s ‘Japa’ wave, Nigeria’s enduring struggle with brain drain has lasted far too long. Despite promises of change, the nation continues to grapple with familiar challenges that drive its citizens abroad in search of more; more opportunities, more peace of mind, and the ability to be more.
A 40-Year-Old Japa Story
From the ‘Checking Out’ of the 80s to today’s ‘Japa’ wave, Nigeria’s enduring struggle with brain drain has lasted far too long. Despite promises of change, the nation continues to grapple with familiar challenges that drive its citizens abroad in search of more; more opportunities, more peace of mind, and the ability to be more.
continue reading
We get it. Sometimes the headline stories are just not enough.
ARTS & CULTURE
African Philosophy Cannot Be a Thing
We must be careful in our attempt to define African philosophy conceptually. Because to define it is to limit it—and to limit it is to conserve it.
End NYSC Already
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) began as a conciliatory post-war programme aimed at nation-building. But now, it is a softer, but no less punitive drafting system with adverse consequences...
7 African Books Every Food Lover Should Read
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven African books for every food lover. These books explore food across Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Senegal, Ethiopia, as well...
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BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY
Falling Planes Nigeria’s Futile Search for a National Carrier
For decades, Nigeria has been trying and failing to set up a national airline. Why? This is the story of a long chain of Nigerian aviation scandals.
Funke Akindele’s Path to a Billion Naira
Being a force in an industry is a difficult position to attribute to anyone. But after producing the top three highest-grossing movies in Nollywood and being the first and only...
Naira Exchange Rates: Worth the Hype? Beyond the Mirage of the Naira’s Exchange Rate
Naira’s exchange rate despite being of huge interest to Nigerians is not the only indicator of the state of the country’s economy. Focus, instead, should be on what steps the...
HISTORY
Remembering Kampala
For much of the sixties, Kampala was at the centre of literature in Africa, its status propelled by Makerere University and Rajat Neogy’s Transition Magazine. However, in the seventies, the...
Haile Selassie I and Pan-African Diplomacy
Perhaps a latecomer to pan-African ideology, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I was nevertheless unique in his contribution to pan-Africanism. He urged all those working for a united global Africa to...
The Niger River and the Dearth of History Deconstructing the Myths of Mungo Park
Challenging the narrative that Mungo Park ‘discovered’ the Niger River brings to the fore the complex legacy of European explorations in Africa. It underscores the urgent need for a shift...
Locating Ourselves after Colonialism A Postcolonial and Decolonial Discourse for Twenty-First Century Africa
Colonialism shaped, is shaping and, as it appears, will continue to shape the realities of Africa. As a postcolony, Africa is still searching for identity, rediscovering itself and finding creative...
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POLITICS
The Accidental Man of the People
Senator Ningi’s suspension by the Senate after he raised allegations of budget padding has made him a hero in the eyes of Nigerians. But it would be unwise to distance...
‘Port Harcourt No Be Abuja’ The Insurmountable Tasks Nyesom Wike Faces
Nyesom Wike’s appointment as minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could be Wike’s biggest political task yet. As minister, he will have to govern...
Geopolitical Projections in West Africa and the Wider Continent
A new element in geopolitics across Africa is the growth of political consciousness and the willingness to organize against unfavourable status quos. Recent events in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso...
Sink Or Swim? Fubara Fights for Survival in Wicked Rivers
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State is on the verge of a potential impeachment after reportedly falling out with his political godfather and predecessor, Nyesom Wike. The situation highlights Nigeria’s...
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
Aya Care’s Sudden Fame
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...
The Menace of Skin-Bleaching in Nigeria
Cosmetic endeavours aimed at achieving lighter skin have led to the development of different skin-bleaching beauty methods that leave the body open to grave health repercussions.
How to Improve Almajiri Health And Why Almajirai May Know Best
Despite their prominence in the Nigerian imagination, almajirai and their experiences in health have been overlooked in research. Socially-grounded research models may offer some ways to address this.
Bullish Markets How Technology Can Revolutionize Nigeria’s Livestock Industry
Technology can play an important role in transforming Nigeria's livestock industry by improving productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. By leveraging innovative solutions, the technical, socioeconomic, and security problems prevalent in the...
WORLD AFFAIRS
A Sahel-less ECOWAS
The announcement by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger of their exit from ECOWAS, 24 years after Mauritania’s exit in 2000, threatens to de-Sahelize the regional bloc. It marks more fundamental...
Nairobi in a Song A Boy, His Father, and Old Tunes
‘To Kenyans, 2023 feels like the year the country dies. But within this Rhumba and Jazz establishment in Nairobi’s Tao, it could as well be 1970,’ Ogwa writes. ‘Perched behind...
The Unseen Struggles of a Nigerian Student in the UK Gig Economy From 80-Hour Work Weeks to Fatherhood
In the aftermath of Brexit, the UK experienced a notable shift in migration patterns, attracting previously eschewed non-EU citizens, especially those from former colonies like Nigeria. But this opportunity is...
Afro-complicity in the United Nations ‘They Are Not a Part of Us’
What Robert A. Wood, Ralph Bunche and Linda Thomas-Greenfield represent is known in the discourse of African ontology as Black complicity—Afro-complicity, if you please. This is a distinct kind of...
