The bigger question is not why France decided to intervene in Mali, but why America has held off
Stephen W Smith in The London Review of Books:
Nigeria
Novelist Will Ferguson wrote a novel about 419 scams. He won an award for it. Is it a good read?
Guest Post by Robert Nathan To be 419′ed is to be fooled. Duped. Swindled. At least that’s the meaning as far as Nigerian slang is concerned — of which this book has plenty on offer. The question is: does Will Ferguson’s Giller-winning novel deliver on the award hype, or does it 419 us? The answer is… yes. […]
My Favorite Photographs N°11: Jide Odukoya
Nigerian photographer Jide Odukoya’s portfolio offers an exceptional insight into the social fabric of Lagos. His Facebook page documents fashion events, open mic ‘happenings’ and weddings, while his official website reveals focused street photography series, such as ‘ADay in the World (Creek Road Market)’, ‘Kids in Makoko’, ‘Lazy Obalende’ or ‘The Business of Worship’. As […]
Saving and scoring penalties every day
What we learned from day seven of the 2013 African Cup of Nations.
Africa Cup of Nations Preview: Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks ready to make a big splash
By Amílcar Tavares* Almost one fifth of Cape Verde’s population would fit in the stands of The Calabash, the 95,000-capacity stadium where the Blue Sharks will today play their first ever Africa Cup of Nations match. Being recognised as one of the 16 best African national teams is a milestone in the country’s sports history, and […]
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are back
The writer is cautiously optimistic (for once) that Nigeria will win its third Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
What kind of home is the “Home Office” anyway?
Why do they call it the Home Office, when that agency dedicates its resources to expelling, incarcerating, and generally despising precisely those who need help? What kind of home is that, anyway? In 2004, Roseline Akhalu was one of 23 people to win a Ford Foundation scholarship to study in England. That would be enough […]
Documentary: Fuelling Poverty in Nigeria
Kicking off with an introduction from Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, the short documentary Fuelling Poverty amounts to a very brief Nigerian Fuel Subsidy 101 course. In thirty minutes, it covers the history of the issue and methodically explains how the government (encouraged by the IFIs, by the way) failed its people. By removing the subsidy […]
Cape Town needs a visit from Anthony Bourdain
Foodyism and obscure ‘ethnic’ food are trendy these days. So, it is odd that South Africa hasn’t received more attention.
The Trouble with the Nigeria Prize for Literature
Should we care that Africa's richest book prize is paid for by a company with unethical business practices?
How to write about children in Africa
Children's Radio Foundation's shows are a testament to children’s capacity to be agents for change and to confront critical community issues themselves.
Steven Soderbergh in Nollywood
Director Andrew Okoko's "The Assassin's Practice" tampers with the tempo of melodrama. It's also Nollywood's response to Soderbergh's "Bubble."
McDonald’s Baobab Tree
The use of black and African pride by Western fast food chains to appeal to African-Americans in the United States.
Film Africa (1): ‘The Beautiful Game’
This documentary film about football in Africa is actually not that terrible once you get past the empty platitudes by celebrities at the start, saying little substantive about African football. Whether former professional footballers–like Anthony Baffoe, Roger Milla and Jay Jay Okocha–or Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan and, odd man out, FW de Klerk–the last President of […]
There are more cell phones in Africa than India
For Canada's Conservative Party government Africa has moved from disaster and aid to opportunity. An actual Canadian government said the above.
Chinua Achebe reflects on Biafra, but for whom?
Achebe's "There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra" reopens old wounds about the civil war.
Nollywood–Nigeria’s Mirror
The Nigerian poet and critic, Odia Ofeimun, on how Nollywood depicts traditional culture and religion.
That time Rick Ross filmed a music video in a Lagos slum
Can a rap music video do better than some journalism in showing the real, unvarnished existence of ordinary Nigerians?
The fear of being a terrible writer
A South African writer gets invited to the Farafina Creative Writing Workshop in Lagos, Nigeria. Her main takeaway: writing is an act of faith; an ancient form of prayer.
My favorite photographs N°5: Abraham Oghobase
Born in Lagos, photographer and artist Abraham Oghobase still lives in the Nigerian metropolis. His work has been exhibited in his home country, the UK, France, Finland and has traveled elsewhere as part of the Bamako Photography Encounters Exhibition. Asked about his own “favorite photographs”, he sent through these five portraits and explains what brought […]