Nigeria
Dress Up or Be Left Out
At Nigerian weddings, it’s not just the bridesmaids who wear matching attire. Every guest sports a matching outfit to celebrate their unity with the bride and groom as part of the “aso ebi” custom. But “kin cloth” is more than just fabric. It’s a recipe for drama.
Salon Woes
Last December, 29-year-old Jennifer Asimobi, a lawyer based in the United States, had just touched down in Lagos for her annual visit, prepared for a month of parties, concerts, clubbing,…
The Rise and Fall of Cryptocurrency in Nigeria
Amid Nigeria’s faltering currency and soaring inflation, ordinary Nigerians have been drawn to cryptocurrencies in a search for both stability and easy money. Yet investment scams have proliferated, and the government is now tightening regulations and trying to regain control.
How Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Championed Women’s Rights
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’s legacy extends beyond being the mother of the legendary Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti or the first Nigerian woman to drive. Bolanle Austen-Peters’ biopic reveals her role in Nigeria’s independence and women's liberation movements.
Nigeria Debates the Fate of Returning Benin Bronzes
The Nigerian government has recognized the oba of Benin as the owner of returned Benin Bronzes, yet how they will be displayed or used remains unclear. Many support housing the artifacts at a national museum rather than the royal palace. Amid conflicting proposals, further returns of the bronzes have stalled.
How Pentecostal Preachers and Satanic Panic Helped Launch Nollywood
In its early days, Nigeria’s modern film industry was rife with depictions of cult rituals, satanic bargains for fast cash and redemption through born-again Christianity. Behind the plots lay broad cultural changes set in motion after the oil boom and bust in the 1980s and ’90s.
Cut Off for Years in a Nigerian Detention Center, Now They Can Call Home
After a New Lines/HumAngle investigation revealed thousands of men detained at the height of the Boko Haram crisis on suspicion of terrorism had been held without access to call their lawyers or families, the Nigerian army reversed course and has allowed detainees to contact loved ones for the first time in nearly a decade.