December 20/January 21

Looting as Catharsis #EndSARS and the Crisis of Governance in Nigeria

Promise Frank EjioforDecember 22, 2020

#EndSARS is not just one massive protest for police reform or even for democratic accountability. It is a reckoning meant to counter the crisis in governance whilst the looting which happened in the aftermath of the protests is a catharsis. Read more.

December 20/January 21vol4-no4

Anything Can Happen #EndSARS and the Making of History

Joshua Segun-LeanDecember 21, 2020

The most revolutionary thing we can do in the face of a state bent on denying our humanity, our existence, is what we have done since the protests began: insist on our role as active witnesses. Read more.

December 20/January 21vol4-no4

‘I Edit as I Write, Unfortunately.’ Sa’eed Husaini’s First Draft.

Sa'eed HusainiDecember 18, 2020

Politics scholar and author of How to Write about Boko Haram, Sa’eed Husaini, thinks it’s important to know how to write a ‘shit draft’. ‘Finish the full writing task first,’ he says, ‘no matter how unpleasant the initial output may seem, and then return to tidy up the mess.’

December 20/January 21First DraftInterviews

This photo is for our essay on Towards a Gas-Flaring-Free Nigeria

Towards a Gas-Flaring-Free Nigeria Rescuing Our Forests from the Brink of Extinction

Godwin UwadilachiDecember 16, 2020

If we really want to save Nigeria from the impending doom of climate imbalance, the damage caused by gas flaring should not be overlooked for enjoying the billions of dollars attached to petroleum. Read more.

December 20/January 21

Why Is Tax Collection Low in Nigeria? Historical and Cultural Explanations for Nigeria’s Low Domestic Resource Mobilization

Paul JegedeDecember 14, 2020

Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria is one of the poorest. In 2017, Nigeria had one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the world. Read more.

December 20/January 21Nigeria

‘How Do You Distinguish between History and Memory?’ Emmanuel Iduma’s First Draft

Emmanuel IdumaDecember 11, 2020

Author of A Stranger’s Pose, Emmanuel Iduma, is ‘often working towards a first, near-final draft… I want any piece of my writing to be written with the intensity and personableness of addressing an imagined reader.’

December 20/January 21First DraftInterviews

This photo is for our essay on The Case for Colonial Reparations

The Case for Colonial Reparations My Guka and Me: Reflections of a Personal Colonial Experience in Kenya

Edwin ChegeDecember 9, 2020

Colonialism and its machinations created physical, social and mental wounds, across Africa, that have lasted generations. Read more.

CameroonDecember 20/January 21KenyaZimbabwe

‘Music Has Always Been a Part of My Process.’ Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀’s First Draft

Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀December 4, 2020

The last book author of Stay with Me, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, disagreed with is, ‘one I am working on now. Ah, why? A scene I was precious about had to be discarded but it would not leave without a fight.’

December 20/January 21First DraftInterviews

This photo is for our essay on The Economic Impacts of Internet Shutdowns

Government Control in the Digital Age The Economic Impacts of Internet Shutdowns

Osaye AjariDecember 2, 2020

Internet shutdowns are employed by governments seeking to control the flow of information to a population, often without justifiable reason. Read more.

December 20/January 21