We chat with Chike Ukaegbu, a 2019 Nigerian presidential candidate, about his path to running a political campaign, his motivations, the challenges of running a campaign while out of the country, as well as his next steps. http://www.chikeukaegbu.com
On this episode we speak with Oluwatosin Adeshokan, a freelance journalist based in Lagos, Nigeria, about his career trajectory and the current state of journalism in the country. We explore the circumstances that have resulted in big Nigerian/African stories being primarily broken by global, western news orgs like the New York Times, The Guardian UK, CNN, and the implications of this trend. We examine the role of journalism in holding power to account in Nigeria and wonder why local investigati...
On this episode, we chat with Coretta Owusu about Design Dua, her Ghana-based company that makes functional handwoven basketry. She shares the nitty gritty details of her company’s capital- and time-intensive operations, the social impact of employing local artisans in Northern Ghana, her transition from law to founding a business with a social reach, the woes of import tax, and the not-so-glamorous side of being featured on big store website. website: www.designdua.com instagram: @shoplovedua E...
NYAC S4 E11: Empathy, What is it Good for? On this episode we speak with literature buff, writer and embodiment of Pan-Africanism, Clarisse Baleja Saidi about her Rwandese, Ugandan, Congolese and Ivorian roots, and her journey to becoming a writer. We examine the clarifying power of writing; discuss the challenge of truthful, authentic storytelling while trying to avoid pandering; and ask, what is the role of empathy in literature ? ------------------ Resources https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2019...
We talk with Dumi Kaliati, the founder and CEO of a Malawian based health and hardware start up called MicroMek. MicroMek specializes in creating low cost drones for the delivery of drugs to remote areas in Malawi. In addition, the aerial vehicles provide assessments of the environmental landscape eg monitoring floods. He shared with us the motivation behind his startup, the challenges he has faced as a young African entrepreneur, and his vision for his company. As our first Malawian guest, Dumi...
On this episode, we learn about Mauritius and the Mauritian identity from a guest Ms. Axelle Lagaillarde. She educates us about its history, politics and peoples. We also discuss the dissociation of Mauritians, particularly Indo-Mauritians, from Africa. Though technically a part of the continent, Mauritius' proximity to India, as well as its Indian origins/ancestry, are very prominent and influential on the island. Lastly, to Amayo's dismay, in spite of its rich diversity Mauritius has no planta...
It’s February, the month of Love! We share what we consider love to be, how we love, and how we like to be loved. Listen to find out who shows love by showing up for people, by feeding them, or by editing their written works. Find out which love language gets Ife preening like a cat, or which one Ify doesn’t particularly rate. You also get to hear our thoughts on “The Friendzone” ---------- Resources - https://www.5lovelanguages.com/ -------- Reading Becoming by Michelle Obama Love, Hate and Oth...
We begin 2019 with a bang! On this episode we chat with the Oluwaseun Ayodeji, the Executive Director of Stand to End Rape (STER) Initiative about the (lack of) support available to sexual assault survivors in Nigeria, our country’s sexual assault laws, and her advocacy work. We also break down the meaning of consent, the different kinds of consent, and discuss ways to combat rape culture. ------------------- Resources http://standtoendrape.org/the-thing-about-consent-is-16daysofactivism/ https:...
On this episode, we talk with Ozoz of Kitchen Butterfly, an excellent Nigerian food blog. Ozoz shares her journey to creating kitchen butterfly.com, her vision of reimagining, documenting and preserving Nigerian food and recipes. She also fills in the gaps in our knowledge of food migration via the slave trade. Then as a group, we list our favorite small chops, our swallow of choice (or not!)and drink of choice. And this would be an invalid discussion of Nigerian food if we failed to include Jol...
We are joined by special guest Wandile Mthiyane (@Wandile7) of Ubuntu Design Group to work through the questions: how did African cities come to be? How did Apartheid and Colonization shape the planning of major African cities like Nairobi, Lagos and Durban? We discuss informal settlements and the circumstances that result in their existence and ask, how do we support people who live in informal settlements without being paternalistic? How do we be better neighbors to them? We close the episode ...
On this episode, we talk with a guest from Southern Cameroon, Tabot, about his country's ongoing conflict. Tabot schools us on Cameroon’s history, geography and political climate. We learn about the decades-long systemic marginalization of anglophone Cameroonians by francophone Cameroonians. And we discuss how this conflict is a remnant of colonialism by the Germans, French and British. Resources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct_SLnAGDuM (BBC Africa Eye mini-documentary) https://popula.com/20...
We speculate about why some African countries have retained the names given by colonizers, and wonder if name changes have had any effect on the progress of self-christened countries, or on their citizens’ perspectives of their identities. We scrutinize relics of colonization that can still be found in our everyday lives such as the horsehair wigs and robes worn by lawyers in some former British colonies. We also examine the relationship between former colonies and their colonizers as it relates...
On this episode, the ladies of NYAC chat with the incredible Yovanka Perdigao (one-third of Not Another Book Podcast)about lusophone Africa, its under-representation in African literary spaces and the importance of translation of Afro-lusophone narratives. Find Yovanka on: Twitter- @postcolonialchi IG- @postcolonialchild website- https://www.yovanka.co.uk/ Referenced: https://www.ozy.com/opinion/the-case-for-lusophone-african-literature/83117 http://afrikult.com/say-what-where-are-the-black-writ...
We are back! Listen to us catch up and gist each other (and you!) about our summer. Amayo quit her job in consulting and moved to Mauritius to work at a startup university (which Ife’s sister happens to go to). Yeka O wrote book chapters and is well on her way to being a doctor, put some respek on her name. Ifeyinwa is adulting like a boss. She got a car, moved into a new apartment and officially became a film maker! Check out her first short which she wrote, produced, directed and edited here: ...
Inspired by Kanye West's latest episodes of being loud and wrong, we unpack our individual shortcomings: what they are, what brought them to our attention, and how we overcome them. We talk about those who've lovingly called us out and the personal steps we take to become more self-aware of these "faults." Mentioned: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/05/im-not-black-im-kanye/559763/?utm_source=atltw https://openspace.sfmoma.org/2018/05/theorems-of-separation/ - Eloquent Rage...
We talk exploring Nigerian-ness and African-ness through economics, history and art with the “Lean, Mean, Nigerian Machine,” @WaleLawal. He walks us though the process of establishing The Republic, a journal he edits and runs; schools us on the function of historical knowledge and how it serves our present experiences; and reminds us that we don’t have to be bound to the western narrative of Hero vs Villain when retelling the rich tapestry of African history. We chat about innovative ways of cre...
On this episode, we chat with Martin Ayeni (actor on Inspector K)about his experience transitioning from theater to screen acting; his dislike for auditions; and what has surprised him about Inspector K. Martin also shares what drew him to Inspector K, and what's next for his career in Nigeria. Mentioned: - Inspector K https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEZ-MhURpRo Reading: - Postcards by Annie Proulx - Fences by August Wilson Watching: - The Crown (Netflix) - The Handmaid's Tale(Hulu) - In Sicknes...
On this episode, we chat with Ashley Akunna (founder and producer of The Grapevine) about the term millennials, characteristics of African millennials, the origin of The Grapevine, and how it serves to amplify the voices of millennials. Listen and share with your friends. Mentioned: - March series by Congressman John Lewis - Bruno Mars episode on The Grapevine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9NTvCyprsA) Reading: - Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon - What It Means When a Man Falls from th...
Part II of the episode where we discuss the pop culture phenomenon that is Black Panther. We continue our conversation with @ifeanyiawachie by discussing by the film’s treatment of gender and hailing the wonderful powerhouses that are the women of Black Panther. Ife draws a parallel between how Black Panther was surrounded by women and the women in Jesus’ life and ministry (yes that Jesus). Yeka delights in Shuri’s nerdiness and is glad for her example of unabashed black woman nerdiness. We ask,...
Part I of the episode where we discuss the pop culture phenomenon that is Black Panther. We are about a month late to the party but we here! Suffice to say, spoilers ahead. If you still haven’t seen the movie, you’re on a long tin! Joined by Black and African arts curator extraordinaire, @ifeanyiawachie, we gush about the visuals, the cinematography, music, acting and general #BlackExcellence on display in the movie. We ask if the movie’s imagination of an African country untouched by colonizati...
Get philosophical with us! On this episode we reflect on change as it relates to ourselves and other people. Do people change or do we have fixed selves? We explore how we’ve changed physically, mentally, spiritually and financially, amongst other ways. We also discuss why people are obsessed with and often reluctant to change. --------------------------------------- Reading: Leye Adenle’s Easy Motion Tourist Watching: Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther Listening: Praiz’ 2 mins (EP) Ric Hassani’s Beli...
On this episode of NYAC, the ladies participate in a "get to know you" tag. We take a trip down memory lane and swap stories about our birth, our childhood neighborhoods and our first email addresses. We also have a few laughs over books we read as kids, and the superstitions we still hold on to. Listen and let us know what your answers to some of these questions are! Reading: - Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan - Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde - Tar Baby by Toni Morrison - We’re Going to Need Mor...
Happy 2018! On this episode (the last one recorded in 2017) we speak with Sarah (sarahadeyinka.com) a humanitarian worker who works with migrants and victims of trafficking. She tells us about her experience working with Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) rescuing migrant boats in international waters. We talk about our understanding of trafficking, explore the motivations of migrants, unpack some (Nigerian) cultural norms that can be inhumane, and discuss the Libyan slave market...
On this episode, the ladies of NYAC talk with Sarah Diouf, founder of Tongoro (an e-commerce fashion label in Dakar, Senegal), Noir (a lifestyle magazine)and Ifren Media company. We chat about how her identity has been shaped by multiple familial ties to several African countries, the origin story behind Tongoro, and her vision for products being "made in Africa." (https://www.tongoro.com) http://www.okayafrica.com/in-conversation-sarah-diouf-tongoro-young-african-creator/ Reading - Americanah b...
On this episode of NYAC, the ladies chat with Ladi and Sam (two-thirds of the Road Preppers team)about Lara.ng, a chat-bot designed to provide transport information to individuals living within the Lagos metropolis. We learn about their professional careers prior to creating lara.ng, the necessary and intensive legwork required for data collection and how the chat-bot is sustained financially. Before the episode ends, the chat-bot's hair style gets critiqued, and suggestions are offered. (Contac...
On this episode, we speak with Michael (@MichaelMaponga), actor and CEO of AfroLandTV, about his journey as an actor and entrepreneur. We chat about Hollywood’s portrayal of Africa, how to navigate being typecast, and what distinguishes his streaming platform, AfroLandTV, from similar sites. He tells us his criteria for classifying media as “premium African” content, the barriers to distributing African content, and his big dreams for African media in general and AfroLandTV in particular. More I...
On this episode our guest, Congolese American Salem Soni, recounts his experience fleeing The Congo with his family as political refugees and settling in America. He gives us some cliff notes on Congolese history and politics, tells us about his struggles fitting into his new home, talks about how erasing one’s identity is often a form of survival, and describes how being in community with other Africans helped revive that identity and pride. --------------------------------- Reading: - Donna Ta...
On this week's episode, the ladies of NYAC chat with Nancy Adimora, editor of AFREADA, about her online literary platform, and her identity as a Nigerian born and raised in London. She spoke to us about how she started AFREADA (Africa + Reader), the necessity of accessible short stories written by Africans and her strong sense of identity as a Nigerian. Resources: www.afreada.com www.brittlepaper.com https://soundcloud.com/mostlylitpod ------------------------- Reading: - What It Mean When a Man...
On this week's episode, the ladies of NYAC chat with Dimma Umeh, a Nigerian beauty blogger, who spoke frankly about her journey to YouTube, which involved ditching a Masters in Accounting. She also gave tips for growing one's online audience and discussed the amount of work necessary to create quality and consistent visual work. Plus, the ladies all chimed in to dissect the beauty standards in Nigeria, the glorification of “yellow pawpaw” women in Nigerian songs and our makeup choices (from sele...
Let’s talk about sex, baby! On this episode, we are joined by public intellectual Keguro (@Keguro_) as we explore sex, sexuality and gender using the knowledge of how our ancestors viewed and practiced the erotics as the main point of reference. We ask ourselves, what informs our idea of sexuality and gender? How do our ancestors’s views and practiceof the erotics differ from those of the west? How do they differ from contemporary African practices of the erotics? Who are the people taken seriou...
