My Father’s Shadow dual-citizenship tension isn’t an isolated conversation in African cinema. From the early 2000’s to date, there have been a select number of African titles with similar tension.
4 months ago
Successive occupants have transformed a quiet ceremonial position into one of Nigeria’s most recognisable political institutions. When First Lady Oluremi Tinubu recently urged wealthy Nigerian celebrities like Burna Boy, Davido and Asake to establish a foundation to support citizens living in poverty, the public reaction revisited a question that has followed Nigeria’s First Ladies for […]
1 month ago
Both home and abroad, there appears to be a substantial gap in the frequency with which male and female artists appear on the charts.
2 months ago
Culture Custodian sought an accurate overview by obtaining official documents. What we found was a much larger story.
2 months ago
The recently concluded Ekiti State gubernatorial election was, once again, accompanied by familiar allegations of vote buying. Political parties hurled accusations at one another, citizens traded stories of cash inducements, food packages, and the now routine monetisation of civic participation. For many Nigerians, these allegations no longer even provoke outrage. Vote buying has become such […]
2 months ago
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Living in Nigeria can mean expecting constant disappointment, yet it still manages to shock you. It could be a sudden policy change, an infrastructure project left incomplete for years, a hospital that fails you when you need it most because doctors are on strike, or the quiet shame of explaining, yet again, why your passport gets extra scrutiny abroad. Bad governance, a battered economy, terrible infrastructure and systems that seem designed to fail affect the quality of Nigerians’ lives everyday. Anyone who has lived here long enough has at least one moment where the system failed them. In this edition of Nigerian Lives, Culture Custodian speaks with 4 Nigerians about that one moment:
16 minutes ago
Niger’s military government narrowly survived an attempted coup on Saturday, August 29, after junior soldiers seized a key airbase and briefly disrupted state broadcasting in an assault that was ultimately crushed with direct assistance from Russian forces. The episode has laid bare both the fragility of the junta led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani and the widening security vacuum across the Sahel, one that regional and international observers warn is becoming an increasingly dangerous threat to all of West Africa.
20 minutes ago
The Luanda International Film Festival (FIC Luanda) 2026 has announced a list of international feature films featuring works from filmmakers from Portugal, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Spain, among others. The festival taking place from October 28 to November 2 in Luanda will have this film feature at the International Fiction […]
21 minutes ago
For 17 years, the Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) has created a space for African and African diaspora filmmakers to bring stories from the continent and beyond to audiences in the San Francisco Bay Area. Now, the festival returns for its 17th edition with a programme that reflects the geographic and creative breadth of contemporary […]
1 day ago
Kokopelli Art Foundation has launched its first artist residency, bringing together five artists from four African countries for a two-week programme of studio practice, mentorship and field research. What happens when five artists from four African countries are given two weeks in Lagos to work, research and develop a new piece of art? That is […]
1 day ago
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Living in Nigeria can mean expecting constant disappointment, yet it still manages to shock you. It could be a sudden policy change, an infrastructure project left incomplete for years, a hospital that fails you when you need it most because doctors are on strike, or the quiet shame of explaining, yet again, why your passport gets extra scrutiny abroad. Bad governance, a battered economy, terrible infrastructure and systems that seem designed to fail affect the quality of Nigerians’ lives everyday. Anyone who has lived here long enough has at least one moment where the system failed them. In this edition of Nigerian Lives, Culture Custodian speaks with 4 Nigerians about that one moment:
16 minutes ago
Aanu Adeoye is a journalist at a major newspaper and author working on his debut nonfiction book about Africa’s emerging geopolitics. Here, he takes us through his use of the internet as both a tool for work and a distraction to be avoided. Who are you? What do you do? Who am I? What a […]
4 months ago
Culture Custodian sought an accurate overview by obtaining official documents. What we found was a much larger story.
2 months ago
Sex is never just sex. Every week, we follow a thread of desire into stories about connection, vulnerability, and the twisting logic of intimacy. Today’s diary is from a woman who tried to want someone she couldn’t, and what that failure taught her about the meaning of sex. Frank and I met during a stretch […]
2 months ago
From the start, it felt like the universe was testing my resolve.
3 months ago
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Blood Sisters Understands That Sex Can Tell a Story. It Just Doesn’t Always Know What Story It’s Telling.
3 months ago
The Luanda International Film Festival (FIC Luanda) 2026 has announced a list of international feature films featuring works from filmmakers from Portugal, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Spain, among others. The festival taking place from October 28 to November 2 in Luanda will have this film feature at the International Fiction […]
21 minutes ago
For 17 years, the Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) has created a space for African and African diaspora filmmakers to bring stories from the continent and beyond to audiences in the San Francisco Bay Area. Now, the festival returns for its 17th edition with a programme that reflects the geographic and creative breadth of contemporary […]
1 day ago
Hosted by Abimbola Craig, the eight-episode debut season taps StyleInfidel, TheKitchenMuse, Ibidunni Damilola and more.
1 day ago
When Culture Custodian interviewed Nigerian filmmaker and founder of Anthill Studios, Niyi Akinmolayan, in 2023, he outlined some of his guiding principles. This interview was held days ahead of the release of his ambitious project, The House of Secrets which was severely panned by Nigerian film critics. After working as a director for hire, working […]
4 days ago
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Days into 2026, quips about 2026 being the new 2016 began to circulate on social media. In a sense, this gestured at Gen Z’s relentless penchant for nostalgia, a phenomenon that’s as palpable in the music of the day as it is in fashion. It also doubles as a pun, or a meme, if you […]
7 months ago
Culture Custodian wrote about The Headies needing change in 2014, 2019, 2023, 2024, and 2025. There are only so many ways one can scream into the void.
4 days ago
If we ever need to capture the ethos of the globalised contemporary African popstar via music and music only, the answer is Starrgirl.
5 days ago
“We tend to not appreciate music for what it is. It’s beyond just the next song. It’s beyond words. It’s definitely much more spiritual than most people realize”
7 days ago
The appeal of Serenity is ultimately quite straightforward. It understands that relaxing music does not have to disappear into the background. Rency gives the listener enough melody to hold onto while never disturbing the quiet atmosphere he has created.
1 week ago
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Successive occupants have transformed a quiet ceremonial position into one of Nigeria’s most recognisable political institutions. When First Lady Oluremi Tinubu recently urged wealthy Nigerian celebrities like Burna Boy, Davido and Asake to establish a foundation to support citizens living in poverty, the public reaction revisited a question that has followed Nigeria’s First Ladies for […]
1 month ago
Niger’s military government narrowly survived an attempted coup on Saturday, August 29, after junior soldiers seized a key airbase and briefly disrupted state broadcasting in an assault that was ultimately crushed with direct assistance from Russian forces. The episode has laid bare both the fragility of the junta led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani and the widening security vacuum across the Sahel, one that regional and international observers warn is becoming an increasingly dangerous threat to all of West Africa.
20 minutes ago
Nigerian politics has used the phrase “federal might” loosely, and it can mean different things depending on who says it and why. At a serious level, it means using the army, police, or federal security agencies to intimidate voters, seize or destroy result sheets, or physically prevent an outcome the federal government does not want.
4 days ago
Tanzania’s Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi has resigned from office and announced his retirement from politics, saying he had become convinced that President Samia Suluhu Hassan wanted a different deputy.
5 days ago
Nigeria’s national parks and game reserves were set up by colonial and post-independence governments to protect wildlife and forests. Today, several of them have become safe havens for terrorists, bandits, and kidnap gangs in the country. To understand why, we have to look past the immediate security failures and into a conservation system that has long been starved of money, staff, and proper management before any armed group ever set foot in these forests.
6 days ago
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Ade Onibada is a freelance journalist, producer, and occasional host/moderator. Cutting her teeth at Buzzfeed at the peak of its internet notoriety forms a distinct POV through which virality and the internet can be understood. For that and more, she’s the perfect subject for this column. Who are you? What do you do? My name […]
3 months ago
Aanu Adeoye is a journalist at a major newspaper and author working on his debut nonfiction book about Africa’s emerging geopolitics. Here, he takes us through his use of the internet as both a tool for work and a distraction to be avoided. Who are you? What do you do? Who am I? What a […]
4 months ago
Sade Onabowale has a lot of opinions. Following her on Instagram is characterized by her expression of her thoughts on the topic du jour in long form. That desire to shape discourse has also now resulted in its own media universe of sorts: a Substack newsletter, a podcast, and a recurring event series. This is […]
3 months ago
Ochuko Akpovbovbo runs a Substack which sits at the intersection of culture, branding, and internet trends. as seen on covers business, culture, and Gen Z trends, making her a perfect fit for this column on how your favorite internet figures use the internet. Who are you? What do you do? I’m a writer and brand […]
3 months ago
Korede Kaneto Akinsete is the founder of Ko Concepts, a storytelling studio that empowers leaders, impact builders, and creatives to identify, refine, and amplify their unique narratives. She’s also a writer exploring the intersections of arts, culture, and identity across the African diaspora, with sensibilities shaped by Lagos and New York. Here she shares with […]
4 months ago
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Hafrikplay, the Pan-African music streaming platform, has launched an airtime-based subscription service through MTN Nigeria, allowing customers to pay for music directly from their phone balance instead of using a bank card.
2 weeks ago
As we look back on the previous year’s releases, debuts, and industry-defining moments in Nigerian Film, it’s time we look forward and embrace what this year might hold for Nigerian Film. Here’s what and who to keep an eye on as the year continues to take shape. I do not come to you by chance […]
2 years ago
What if your clothes could tell their own story? Not just who made them, but where they’ve been, who has owned them and whether they’re even the real thing. That’s the idea behind RAC (Reviving Ancient Codes), a new collection from Nigerian creative technology company Nextberries. When Atlanta Dream stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray […]
4 weeks ago
For years, conversations about Nigeria’s creative economy have centred on music, film and fashion. Yet another creative industry has been quietly building momentum. Independent game developers are increasingly creating original titles capable of reaching global audiences, demonstrating that compelling interactive storytelling can emerge from the continent just as confidently as its other cultural exports. Among […]
1 month ago
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate Meta, Alphabet’s Google, X, and unnamed generative AI platforms over allegations that they have exploited Nigerian journalism to train AI models without payment, and abused their dominance of the country’s digital advertising market. The directive, conveyed through Information Minister Mohammed Idris, followed a joint petition to the presidency from the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) — an umbrella group spanning newspaper proprietors, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors, broadcasters and online publishers.
2 months ago
