By Allison Swank One of the first of its kind out of West Africa, the new animated series, Bino and Fino, promises a refreshing look at a contemporary urban African family. The brother and sister duo live in a middle class home with their grandparents, who in the first episode (view below), explain what the […]

This may yet become a weekly award on AIAC. The inaugural Waka Waka Award–name in honor of Shakira–goes to Jack Burkman, “GOP strategist,” who recently decided to insult Ethiopians and Nigerians in a Fox Business News studio “discussion” about closing the United States Post Office–work that out. Watch it here.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkTVDDrUS4Y&w=500&=307&rel=0] I’d be interested in people’s reading of this short video spotted on Youtube, above, which claims to educate Nigerians about their “perceptions” of each other. Since I am no expert on things Nigerian, I asked Jeremy Weate of Naijablog what he thought of it. On his blog he posted the following: “… For me, […]

“One in five Africans is Nigerian and they certainly represent throughout the Diaspora. Much of the time, however, the over 150 million Nigerians in the world are unfairly associated with 419 email scams,” reported The Atlanta Post last month. So to counter this stereotype–and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence this year , […]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNUgJMDsOuY&w=500&h=307&rel=0] If you don’t notice the awkward “acting” at the outset of this music video and you’re a fan of retrified 60s R&B and soul, this is a nice tune and video by Paris-based Nigerian singer, Asa. It’s for her new single “Be My Man” off her just-released second album.

Last month Johannesburg filmmaker Akin Omotoso, who directed a documentary about Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, flew to Lagos to attend the launch of Soyinka’s political party, The Democratic Front for a People’s Federation, and to relive some childhood memories:

Nigerian director and producer, Ade Adepegba, speaking ahead of the new film festival, Nollywood Now–apparently the first entirely dedicated to the genre–that takes place in London from 6-12 October: Nigerians are the largest group of Africans living in the UK, and the majority of them live in London … Nigerian films still hold their strongest […]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3mHMWO_-mM&w=500&h=307&rel=0] Nigerian superstars P-Square doing “Do Me.” This is not your average world music band.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uvUZbUwOiA&w=500&h=307&rel=0] Shocker. Children don’t always look like their parents. (Unfortunately not everyone got the memo that it is none of their business; like here and here.) * Courtesy of my wife, Jessica Blatt. — Sean Jacobs

[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/11804108 w=500&h=281] Powerful Amnesty International spot for its campaign around conditions in Nigeria’s Niger Delta where the oil spills make the Gulf of Mexico look like a picnic. It also points to the complicity of oil giant Shell in destroying people’s livelihoods. — Sean Jacobs

[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/11738776 w=500&h=281] Beautifully shot short film about the fate of 10,000 residents displaced after a thriving market in Ajelogo, a neighborhood in Lagos, Nigeria, was destroyed by local authorities. The film is told through the perspective of one of the residents. The director is Charles “Stretch” Ledford, a University of Miami communications student and working […]

Apart from the Nigerian media and a BBC story this has not had much traction. It is a scandal. Al Jazeera English reports (video embedded below) about Senator Sani Ahmed Yerima who is hiding behind religion. Apparently he divorced another of his 4 wives (his ex-wife was 15 year old when he married her in 2006) to […]

No this is not a comment on Nigerian politics. Instead, the BBC website has a great photo series of the competitors and trainers of the 13th All-Nigeria Ram Fighting Championship, including of a ram called Goodluck. Via Naijablog.

Al Jazeera English is first out of the gate with an analysis of the life of the Nigerian President who died yesterday, but has been bedridden and in hiding for months–first in Saudi Arabia from November last year till February this year and from then at his official residence–while his appropriately named deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, […]

Via Jeremy Weate at Naijablog: “Photos by Brian Blazek. The Tuk-Ham festival takes place each year at Kwoi in Kaduna State. The planting festival is a celebration within the Jabba ethnic group, who claim direct descendancy from Nok culture. The second picture is of this year’s Tuk-Ham beauty queen winner.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zciWUOrIUqo&w=480&h=295] My colleagues at The New School, The Yes Men, punks Shell last week.