The formation of the Sahel Alliance has raised several questions, especially: is it really the worst thing in the world that three African military leaders want to rid their countries of neocolonialism and French imperialism?
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vol. 8, no. 3
THE ENDURING VOICE OF WOLE SOYINKA
Our latest issue, The Enduring Voice of Wole Soyinka, celebrates Wole Soyinka’s legacy and ongoing developments of Africa’s literary worlds that complicate but also inspire new thinking about the meaning of African literature.
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vol. 8, no. 3
THE ENDURING VOICE OF WOLE SOYINKA
Our latest issue, The Enduring Voice of Wole Soyinka, celebrates Wole Soyinka’s legacy but also ongoing developments in various regions of the African literary world that complicate but also inspire new thinking about the meaning of African literature.
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.
HEADLINE STORY / THE MINISTRY OF WORLD AFFAIRS
THE MINISTRY OF ARTS / BOOKS DEPT.
A Profound Search for the Sublime
In The Most Secret Memory of Men, Mohamed Mbougar Sarr takes us on a literary journey that questions what it means to be an African writer today.
THE MINISTRY OF ARTS / FIRST DRAFT INTERVIEWS
‘A Great Story Should Make You Feel Deeply’ Othuke Ominiabohs’ First Draft
Founder of Masobe Books and author of Aviara, Othuke Ominiabohs, believes that writers should write whatever truly interests them. However, ‘it would be exciting to see more romantic stories, thrillers, and daring, genre-bending works from Nigerian writers.’
THE MINISTRY OF ARTS / POETRY DEPT.
A Walk Through Wole Soyinka’s ‘Àbíkú’
An anthropological attempt at unravelling Wole Soyinka’s rewardingly obscure poem, ‘Àbíkú’.
THE MINISTRY OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS / DISPATCH FROM GABON
The Sonic Politics of Gabon’s Ntcham
As a music genre born from successive crises and widening access to new technologies, ‘ntcham’ manifests the attempts at escape, survival and diversion of Gabonese youth, as well as the challenges and anxieties surrounding the ongoing transition since the coup d’état of 30 August 2023.
THE REPUBLIC RECOMMENDS
7 Crime Novels That Will Show You How Chaotic Your Life Can Get
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven African crime novels that will show you how chaotic your life can get. The books on this list span several African countries—from Nigeria to Kenya to Zimbabwe—and belong on every crime fiction enthusiast’s bookshelf.
THE MINISTRY OF WORLD affairs / UN DESK
Can We Trust the P-5’s ‘Unanimous Agreement’ of African Representation at the UN Security Council?
The unanimous agreement of African representation on the UN Security Council is not a structural fix to the systematic marginalization that African nations face on the world stage. Instead, it raises the question of whether it is in the best interest of the continent.
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 POLITICAL AFFAIRS
The Saga of the Kano Emirate
In Kano, a tussle for the emirate’s throne between Muhammadu Sanusi II and Aminu Ado Bayero has revealed the shaky legitimacy of traditional Nigerian monarchs. How their once inviolable thrones, emblematic of timeless authority and cultural heritage, now teeter under the weight of modern Nigerian politics.
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.
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.
JOIN THE REPUBLIC
Call for Editorial Interns Join The Republic as an Editorial Intern
The Republic is hiring Editorial Interns to join our Lagos team. Apply by 17 May 2024. Read more.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Soyinka in the Gazan Crypt
Wole Soyinka’s work gives to Palestinians something the life-world of Palestinian letters give to us: an abiding love and solidarity for the captive.
#FREEPALESTINE
Soyinka in the Gazan Crypt
Wole Soyinka’s work gives to Palestinians something the life-world of Palestinian letters give to us: an abiding love and solidarity for the captive.
The Unresolved Questions of the Sahel Crisis
The formation of the Sahel Alliance has raised several questions, especially: is it really the worst thing in the world that three African military leaders want to rid their countries...
A Profound Search for the Sublime
In The Most Secret Memory of Men, Mohamed Mbougar Sarr takes us on a literary journey that questions what it means to be an African writer today.
Can We Trust the P-5’s ‘Unanimous Agreement’ of African Representation at the UN Security Council?
The unanimous agreement of African representation on the UN Security Council is not a structural fix to the systematic marginalization that African nations face on the world stage. Instead, it...
The Sonic Politics of Gabon’s Ntcham
As a music genre born from successive crises and widening access to new technologies, ‘ntcham’ manifests the attempts at escape, survival and diversion of Gabonese youth, as well as the...
THE LATEST IN PRINT
VOL. 8, NO. 3
THE ENDURING VOICE OF WOLE SOYINKA
THE ENDURING VOICE OF WOLE SOYINKA
Now Available: Our August – October 2024 Print Issue
Featuring:
Wale Lawal in conversation with Professor Wole Soyinka; Sarah Ladipo Manyika on the meaning of Wole Soyinka; Richard Solomon on Gaza through the lens of Wole Soyinka; Olabanke Goriola on reading Wole Soyinka from an African feminist lens; plus more.
THE LATEST IN PRINT
VOL. 8, NO. 3
THE ENDURING VOICE OF WOLE SOYINKA
THE ENDURING VOICE OF WOLE SOYINKA
Now Available: Our August – October 2024 Print Issue
Featuring:
Wale Lawal in conversation with Professor Wole Soyinka; Sarah Ladipo Manyika on the meaning of Wole Soyinka; Richard Solomon on Gaza through the lens of Wole Soyinka; Olabanke Goriola on reading Wole Soyinka from an African feminist lens; 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
‘Write Something Familiar in a Way That Readers Encounter It as Something New’ Ololade Faniyi’s First Draft
Nigerian feminist scholar and author of An African Feminist Manifesto, Ololade Faniyi, is drawn to writings about the digital and the African imaginary: ‘We must resist the universalizing mission disguised as bridging the technological divide. We have lost so much as a people; we don’t have any more to lose.’
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.
On Wole Soyinka
Our latest issue, The Enduring Voice of Wole Soyinka, celebrates the 90th birthday of Wole Soyinka and considers his influence on literature, African thought, plus more.
continue reading
We get it. Sometimes the headline stories are just not enough.
ARTS & CULTURE
‘A Great Story Should Make You Feel Deeply’ Othuke Ominiabohs’ First Draft
Founder of Masobe Books and author of Aviara, Othuke Ominiabohs, believes that writers should write whatever truly interests them. However, ‘it would be exciting to see more romantic stories, thrillers,...
A Profound Search for the Sublime
In The Most Secret Memory of Men, Mohamed Mbougar Sarr takes us on a literary journey that questions what it means to be an African writer today.
The Sonic Politics of Gabon’s Ntcham
As a music genre born from successive crises and widening access to new technologies, ‘ntcham’ manifests the attempts at escape, survival and diversion of Gabonese youth, as well as the...
7 Crime Novels That Will Show You How Chaotic Your Life Can Get
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven African crime novels that will show you how chaotic your life can get. The books on this list...
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BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY
Highway to Where?
Beyond being a transformative infrastructure project aimed at connecting Nigeria’s southern coastline, the story of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway represents the interplay of competing interests in undertaking monumental economic projects.
A Tale of Two Economies
What can we learn from Nigeria’s economic decline and South Africa’s relative economic stability?
The Disappointing Downturn of Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria
Nigeria, once Africa’s top foreign investment destination, has fallen from grace. Is there a way forward?
What is Happening to the Naira?
Is it floating? Is it sinking? With the nose-dive the naira took following the latest policy to float the currency, there has been an intense sense of distress regarding the...
HISTORY
The Quiet Politics of Lebanese Nigerians
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.
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.
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...
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POLITICS
Tinubu’s Nigeria Is Smiling Abroad but Suffering at Home
Why the Tinubu government’s foreign policy must be re-tuned to domestic needs.
APC’s Unspoken Rules of Fuel Subsidy
During Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, the All Progressives Congress heavily criticized and campaigned against removing the fuel subsidy. Now the ruling party finds itself dealing with the aftermath of its own...
The Saga of the Kano Emirate
In Kano, a tussle for the emirate’s throne between Muhammadu Sanusi II and Aminu Ado Bayero has revealed the shaky legitimacy of traditional Nigerian monarchs. How their once inviolable thrones,...
The Elusive Promise of Tinubu’s 4D Doctrine
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first year in office shows a gap between his ‘4D’ foreign policy goals and Nigeria's domestic realities.
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
A Medical Miracle in Cameroon
The rollout of the new malaria vaccine in Cameroon has made some Cameroonians hopeful, while others worry about its true purpose.
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.
WORLD AFFAIRS
The Unresolved Questions of the Sahel Crisis
The formation of the Sahel Alliance has raised several questions, especially: is it really the worst thing in the world that three African military leaders want to rid their countries...
Can We Trust the P-5’s ‘Unanimous Agreement’ of African Representation at the UN Security Council?
The unanimous agreement of African representation on the UN Security Council is not a structural fix to the systematic marginalization that African nations face on the world stage. Instead, it...
Soyinka in the Gazan Crypt
Wole Soyinka’s work gives to Palestinians something the life-world of Palestinian letters give to us: an abiding love and solidarity for the captive.
The North African Novel in English: What Is It? How Is It?
Arabophone and Francophone literatures have dominated the region of North Africa for decades, but now a third one is emerging—the Anglophone one.
