Culture & Society

Against All Odds Zlatan Ibile’s ‘Omo Ologo’ and the Triumph of Perseverance

Honour AghedoJune 12, 2023

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.

June/July 2023Nigeria

What Happened on June 12? Introducing The Republic’s Podcast About June 12

The RepublicJune 9, 2023

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?

June/July 2023Nigeria

The Imminent Rise of ‘Podcastars’ How Digital Oral Storytelling is Influencing Culture in Nigeria

Tilewa KazeemJune 7, 2023

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?

Best of 2023: EssaysJune/July 2023Nigeria

The Leaking Basket Why You, and Your New President, Should Care About Benue State

Ayoola OladipupoJune 5, 2023

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.

June/July 2023Nigeria

Ama Ata Aidoo’s Illimitable Voice Ama Ata Aidoo (1942-2023)

Peace Yetunde OnafuyeJune 4, 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.

GhanaJune/July 2023News

What Makes a Guinness World Record Official? The Convoluted Mechanics of Guinness World Records

Kosi OgbuliJune 1, 2023

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.

June/July 2023Nigeria

‘Being an Editor Is a Magical Work’ Chimeka Garricks’ First Draft

Chimeka GarricksMay 26, 2023

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.

April/May 2023First DraftInterviewsNigeria

To Be or Not to Be Surreal? Abba T. Makama’s Biggest Question Yet

Hillary EssienMay 22, 2023

‘We chose the term “surreal” not because we were surrealist filmmakers,’ Abba T. Makama says of his collective, Surreal16. ‘We felt surrealism was another word for dreaming. When you’re dreaming, the ego is asleep and you’re running on the unconscious. You’re free. It’s about freedom of creativity.’

April/May 2023InterviewsNigeriavol7-no2

Surviving the Long Shadow of Trauma Life after the Owo Church Massacre

Adesola IkulajoluMay 22, 2023

Nearly a year after a shooting took place at St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, we visited the church, where despite the trauma of surviving a massacre, church members have returned, and service has resumed.

April/May 2023Nigeriavol7-no2