The State of Africa

By Bolu Mayode

The State of Africa is a narrative deep-dive into how Africa became what it is today; the history we weren’t taught, the systems that shaped us, the decisions that broke us and the possibilities that ... more

· Government

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FAQs about The State of Africa:

How many episodes does The State of Africa have?

The podcast currently has 57 episodes available.

The State of Africa episodes:

January 16, 2026 One Word That Caused Global Chaos
Tyla, Race and the Collision of African and American Identity.

One word. Two histories.

Africa and America don’t speak the same racial language but the global system expects Africans to translate themselves anyway. This was a case of cultural collision.

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5min
January 16, 2026 The Genre Fight Nobody Wanted
Tyla, Afrobeats and the Battle for African Self-Definition

When Tyla said “this isn’t Afrobeats,” she wasn’t rejecting Africa, she was only refusing to be flattened by people who didn’t want to understand her context. Naming is power. And Africa is learning to name itself again.

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5min
January 16, 2026 The Builder’s Generation
The Rise of the African Tech Scene (2010s–2020s)

Africa built solutions from scarcity. These solutions built confidence which is very essential for freedom.

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4min
January 15, 2026 The Jollof Wars
We argue about Jollof because we know, deep down, we belong to the same table. So it’s not about rice, it’s about identity and shared culture. You only joke like this with family not with enemies.

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5min
January 14, 2026 The African Sound of Freedom
Afrobeats and The New African Sound (2010s–Today).

Afrobeats went global by being African not by copying the world. Africa can only reclaim power by being African.

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6min
January 13, 2026 The Reluctant Return of Lost Art
The Return of the Benin Bronzes (2020s)

The return of the Benin Bronzes is about identity today. It tells Africans, especially young Africans, that their ancestors were skilled and sophisticated.

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5min
January 12, 2026 The Curse of Being Rich
The Resource Curse in Africa (20th–21st Century)

Africa’s problem has never been a lack of wealth or resources. The African economy was designed to extract and not to build.

The resource curse has shaped African politics, power and the African mentality. But it doesn’t have to shape the future.

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6min
January 09, 2026 When Governments Failed, God Took Over
The Rise of Pentecostalism in Africa (Late 20th Century–Today).

Pentecostalism rose where hope collapsed and systems failed. It was no accident. Faith became therapy and a mode of survival.

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6min
January 08, 2026 The Dream of a United Africa
The Birth of the African Union (2001).

In 2001, Africa took a bold step toward unity. The AU may not be perfect but it is Africa speaking as one for the first time in centuries.

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5min
January 08, 2026 Sinothando Ngubane on Red Tape in Government and the Lack of Appreciation of African Talent
In conversation with Sinothando Ngubane, a creative consultant from South Africa. She talks about the excessive bureaucracy in government hindering people from getting things done. She also speaks about the need for to value its own talents more as we have an unnecessary need for validation from foreigners.

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44min

FAQs about The State of Africa:

How many episodes does The State of Africa have?

The podcast currently has 57 episodes available.