Not Your African Cliché

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 investigative journalism exposés do not often result in change (hint: shameless authoritarian governments and apathetic general public). Lastly, we discuss ideas for how journalism on the continent might evolve in a way that is engaging, speaks truth to power, and is better funded.

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Resources:

Explore the now defunct 234Next Website on Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20100701000000*/234next.com

Oluwatosin's article on learning Mandarin in Nigeria - https://popula.com/2018/09/10/learning-chinese-in-nigeria/

Oluwatosin's article in the LA Times about dreams of Biafra in the East - https://www.latimes.com/world/africa/la-fg-nigeria-war-legacy-20190430-story.html

Perspective on the implications of foreign media orgs telling African stories

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/01/african-journalism-stifled-lack-resources

https://africasacountry.com/2019/02/whos-reporting-africa-now

Zikoko’s This Naira Life reporting

https://www.zikoko.com/naira-life/tough-hustling-in-nigeria/

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Episode was mixed by Ifeoluwa Olokode, theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

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

Episode mixed by Ifeyinwa Arinze. Theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

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 ?

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Resources

https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2019/03/02/the-banality-of-empathy/ https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/bloody-image-double-standard https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/03/ethiopian-airlines-302/584533/ https://wereherelove.com/podcastguests/#ClarisseBalejaSaïdi

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Reading

- John Carryrou’s Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

- Claire Adam’s Golden Child

- Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird

- Peter Kreeft’s Practical Theology: Spiritual Direction from Saint Thomas Aquinas

Listening

- PJ Morton and Yebba’s How Deep is Your Love

- P J Morton’s Christmas with PJ Morton

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Episode was mixed by Ifeoluwa Olokode, theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

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 also enlightened us on his country's history and what he loves about Malawi.

Website: https://www.micromek.net

FB: MicroMek

Twitter: @MicroMek_LTD

Dumi's Twitter: @dumikaliati

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 plantains.

Resources:

https://www.luxury-in-mauritius.com/people/the-mauritian-identity-the-result-of-a-long-journey

http://hyllanderiksen.net/Creoles.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mauritius

http://mcfsp-blogs.ed.ac.uk/kushmandisreekissoon/2017/03/15/my-fluid-identity-being-hindu-being-mauritian-and-being-african/

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”

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Resources

- https://www.5lovelanguages.com/

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Reading

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Love, Hate and Other Filters Book by Samira Ahmed

Women, Race and Class by Angela Davis

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

Listening To

Casey J’s The Gathering

Watching

Netflix’ Sex Education

Netflix’ Big Mouth Season 2

Netflix’ The Punisher

Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 2

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Episode was mixed by Ifeoluwa Olokode, theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

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.

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Resources

http://standtoendrape.org/the-thing-about-consent-is-16daysofactivism/

https://www.rainn.org/articles/what-is-consent

https://lawpadi.com/laws-rape-every-nigerian-know/

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Episode was mixed by Ifeoluwa Olokode, theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

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 Jollof rice (with a capital J!).

Listen closely as Amayo shocks us with her amala aversion, as Ifeyinwa is swiftly rebuked when she mixes up “sah-lad” with “African salad” & laugh with us as we shade Ghanaian Jollof (in love).

Resources:

https://www.kitchenbutterfly.com/2017/11/27/a-possible-history-of-nigerian-small-chops-in-their-present-form/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwQVrrKJm5M

Episode was mixed by Ifeyinwa Arinze. Theme song is Ayo by Femi Leye

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 by sharing our vision for African Cities.

Resources:

https://www.ted.com/talks/olutimehin_adegbeye_who_belongs_in_a_city

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/27/africa/otodo-gbame-demolition/index.html

https://medium.com/latterly/homeless-by-design-the-forced-evictions-in-otodo-gbame-daae4039cc3d

https://cda.co.ug/1130/historicizing-the-hustle-what-kenyas-colonial-legacy-tells-us-about-poverty-in-african-cities/

https://bittersoutherner.com/rural-studio-turns-20/#.W-yT7HpKg_U

Reading

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Educated by Tara Westover

Watching

Christmas Movies on Netflix and Hallmark

Peppermint Candy by Lee Chang Dong

Listening to

Highlife EP by Femi Leye (the brilliant force behind our theme music!) - EP

It Was All a Dream by Distruction Boyz - Album

Tiny Winey by Joaquin Ft. Krosfyah - Single

J Cole

Lecrae

London Grammar

Keep any eye out for Wandlile’s book, Ubuntu in the Mumbulu and documentary, Child of Apartheid