The Republic

19/07/2025

‘Love is at the Centre of Everything I Write’ ⚡

In today’s First Draft interview, author of ‘Allow Me To Introduce Myself’, Onyi Nwabineli, discusses the inspiration behind her latest book.

She also discusses her stance against using children as social media content, her experience writing fan fiction, how her neurodivergence shapes her creative process, her love for graphic novels, why there should be more real-life consequences for actions that take place online, and more.

Read Nwabineli’s full interview here:
https://rpublc.com/june-july-2025/first-draft-onyi-nwabineli/
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📝: Onyi Nwabineli
🎨: Onyi Nwabineli. Illustration by Kevwe Ogini
🔍: Ijapa O and Peace Onafuye, Editors

19/07/2025

A Feminist Pan-Africanism for a World in Flux ⚡️

Toni Hastrup examines Africa’s place in the world through a feminist lens. As new global powers turn their attention to the continent, Haastrup argues that Africa cannot continue with a 'business as usual' approach.

The essay critiques the continent’s ongoing economic dependence, the rise of militarism, and the erosion of democratic values, and offers feminist pan-Africanism not as a reform, but as a radical redefinition that centres justice, accountability, and democracy.

It urges solidarity beyond borders and identities, confronting issues such as domestic labour, land rights, bodily autonomy, and climate justice, while prioritising social well-being over extractive economic growth. It rejects militarized responses to insecurity, advocating instead for community-based, gender-aware peacebuilding and inclusive diplomacy.

Haastrup emphasizes that feminist movements are already enacting these changes. The challenge now lies with African governments and institutions to embrace this shift toward a future rooted in sovereignty, justice, and dignity for all.

Read the full essay here: https://rpublc.com/vol9-no2/feminist-pan-africanism/
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📝: Toni Haastrup
📷: Illustration by Shalom Ojo / THE REPUBLIC.
🔍: Ololade Faniyi, Peace Yetunde Onafuye, Yusuf Omotayo, Dami Mojid, Wale Lawal; Editors.

19/07/2025

Today in 1949, Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe, politician and former South African president, was born. ⌛

On 19 July 1949, Kgalema Motlanthe was born at the Boksburg-Benoni Hospital in Johannesburg. He lived in Alexandra as a child before his family moved to Meadowlands, Soweto.

He joined uMkhonto weSizwe, the paramilitary arm of the African National Congress (ANC) while supervising Sowetan liquor outlets for the Johannesburg City Council in the 1970s. He played a crucial role in the military training of ANC recruits and the covert transportation of ANC members in and out of South Africa.

Kgalema was detained for eleven months in 1976 for his activities with the ANC. In 1977, he was sentenced to ten years in prison for terrorism. He served in many roles, including as General Secretary of South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers. He replaced Cyril Ramaphosa as the ANC’s Secretary-General in 1997 and became its Deputy President in 2007.

He was sworn in as South Africa’s third president on 25 September 2008 after the resignation of Thabo Mbeki.

Learn more about South African history by reading Thula Simpson’s First Draft interview here: https://republic.com.ng/october-november-2023/first-draft-thula-simpson/
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📝: Adams Adeosun and Ugonna Eronini
📷: 1) Kgalema Motlanthe. Kopano Tlape/GCIS
2) Recently appointed Deputy President Motlanthe at the World Economic Forum in Cape Town, 12 June 2009. Wikimedia Commons.
3) Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe receives a courtesy call from the Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan at Mount Nelson in Cape Town, 7 May 2013. GCIS.

18/07/2025

Today in 1918, Nelson Mandela was born. ⌛️
He was a leader whose relentless fight for freedom, justice, and equality changed the course of history. Today is also Nelson Mandela International Day, established by the United Nations to celebrate his life and honour his contributions to peace, reconciliation, and social justice.

Swipe through this carousel to revisit moments from his extraordinary journey.

Read more about Apartheid at the link in bio.

18/07/2025

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Out 8 a.m., Mondays-Fridays. In today’s edition:

The Bushmeat System, Against Wild Republics, Bullish Markets, and More

The Republic Today

17/07/2025

The Reinvention of Nsibidi ⚡️

Gabriella Opara explores the resurgence of Nsibidi, the ancient writing system from Nigeria's Cross River region, as it finds new life through the dedication of contemporary artists, researchers, and enthusiasts.

Chiadikōbi Nwaubani, inspired by Ukara cloth, developed neo-Nsibidi to simplify the script, making it accessible through his blog, Ụkpụrụ̄. Fashion designer Ugochukwu Chukwuemerie incorporates Nsibidi into his brand, while visual artist Victor Ekpuk has dedicated decades to Nsibidi-inspired art, aiming to tell authentic African stories and challenge Western influences.

Austrian-Nigerian tattoo artist Emmanuel Uchenna Item uses Nsibidi to connect with his heritage, particularly after discovering the origins of a traditional mask.

The essay also highlights Nsibidi’s influence on cultures like the Abakua in the Southern United States and discusses the colonial-era efforts to dismantle it.

Read the full essay here: https://rpublc.com/vol8-no4/the-reinvention-of-nsibidi/
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📝: Gabriella Opara
📷: Illustration by Ukandi Atsu / THE REPUBLIC. PHOTOGRAPHY: ALERUCHI KINIKA /THE REPUBLIC.
🔍: Osione Oseni-Elamah, Yusuf Omotayo, Wale Lawal; Editors.

17/07/2025

The Problem With Age Gaps in Romantic Relationships ⚡️

Jessica Onyemauche argues that age disparities in heterosexual relationships reinforce gender inequality. Prompted by a debate with friends on the perceived benefits of dating older partners, she examines how societal norms around age gaps undermine gender equality.

She highlights that these relationships are often shaped by stereotypes, particularly the expectation that men should be older and points to research showing considerable age gaps in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 98% of Nigerian women are younger than their husbands.

Onyemauche challenges common justifications for these disparities, such as older men's financial stability or women’s 'biological clock', contrasting them with evidence on male fertility decline, brain development, and gendered double standards. She writes that these dynamics limit women’s autonomy, entrench male dominance in relationships, and promote ageism against women.

Read the full essay here: https://rpublc.com/june-july-2025/age-gaps-in-romantic-relationships/
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📝: Jessica Onyemauche
📷: Photo illustration by Dami Mojid / THE REPUBLIC.
🔍: Ololade Faniyi, Peace Yetunde Onafuye; Editors.

17/07/2025

Today in 1976, 22 African countries boycotted the Montreal Olympics. ⌛

On 17 July 1976, 22 African countries boycotted the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada. This was in protest of New Zealand’s participation after its national rugby team toured South Africa in the summer, a move that was interpreted as an endorsement of South Africa’s apartheid government.

Earlier in June, the South African government had killed more than 350 people protesting against racial injustice in Soweto. The country had been banned from the Olympic Games since 1964 for its racial politics and wasn't allowed back until 1992 when it eventually repealed its apartheid laws.

The boycott meant the absence of some of the world’s best athletes at the time from the Olympics, including Tanzania’s Filbert Bayi, who held the world record in the 1500 metres and Uganda’s John Akii-Bua, world record-holder in the 400 metres hurdles.

The boycott aimed to show the international community that legitimizing South Africa’s government, like New Zealand did, was as unacceptable as apartheid itself.

Read more about South Africa’s current relationship with African states here: https://republic.com.ng/august-september-2023/south-africa-open-borders/
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📷: 1) Segregational signs at a South-African train station. Wikimedia Commons.
2) Stéphane Prefontaine and Sandra Henderson light Olympic flame, Montreal, 1976. Wikimedia Commons.
3)Robert Sobukwe leads an anti-apartheid protest. Wikimedia Commons.

17/07/2025

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Out 8 a.m., Mondays-Fridays. In today’s edition:

Age Gaps in Romantic Relationships, Semantics of Nigerian Misogyny, and More
https://mailchi.mp/republic.com.ng/july-17-2025

16/07/2025

Is Feminism Compatible With Religion? ⚡️

In this provocative essay, Tega A. Onobrakpeya describes from her view the uneasy relationship between feminist principles and the doctrines of Christianity and Islam, particularly within the Nigerian context. Grounded in personal experiences of gender bias in religious texts and practices, she questions whether genuine gender equality can coexist with faiths that often uphold male dominance.

The essay critiques how foundational religious narratives depict women as secondary, reinforcing patriarchal interpretations that have historically silenced and limited women’s roles. Onobrakpeya highlights the exclusion of women from leadership in churches and mosques, citing examples like the Catholic Church’s ban on female priests and restrictions on women leading prayers in Islam.

She also addresses specific teachings, such as Apostle Paul’s instructions on female submission and Islamic inheritance laws that conflict with feminist ideals. These doctrines, she argues, extend beyond the religious sphere to influence Nigerian law and culture, deepening inequality in areas like education, voting, and marriage rights.

Read the full essay at the link in bio
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📝: Tega A. Onobrakpeya
📷: Photo illustration by Dami Mojid / THE REPUBLIC.
🔍: Ololade Faniyi, Yusuf Omotayo; Editors.

16/07/2025

Today in 1931, Ethiopia's Emperor Selassie signed the first Ethiopian constitution. ⌛️

On 16 July 1931, Emperor Haile Selassie I, Ethiopia's last emperor, promulgated the country’s first written constitution after assuming the throne the previous year. The 1931 Constitution, which replaced the ancient Christian legal code, was adapted from Japan’s Meiji Constitution.

The first Ethiopian Constitution was a basic document that contained 55 articles shared between seven chapters. Written by a team led by an Ethiopian who was educated in Russia, it expressed the agency of a minority group of elites. The constitution consolidated the complete centralization of political power in the Emperor, absolutely limiting the stake of the citizenry in the government.

The 1931 Constitution was revised in 1955 after which it became more inclusive and recognizing of the Ethiopian people. Haile Selassie said the revision was to keep the politics of Ethiopia abreast with its social and economic development.

The 1931 constitution started the formalization of the government of Ethiopia, one of the world’s last true ancient monarchies.

Read more about Haile Selassie I here: https://rpublc.com/april-may-2024/haile-selassie-and-pan-african-diplomacy/
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📝: Adams Adeosun and Ugonna Eronini
📷:1)Haile Selassie at Geneva, 1935. National Museum of American History
2)Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia in the study at his palace, 1942. Wikimedia Commons.
3)Haile Selassie at the International Labour Organization, 1924. Wikimedia Commons.

15/07/2025

The Un-lonely Voice of A. Igoni Barett ⚡️

Emmanuel Esomnofu analyses the distinctive literary contributions of Nigerian writer A. Igoni Barrett, particularly through his short story collection 'Love Is Power Or Something Like That' and his novel 'Blackass' (which is ten this year).

Esomnofu praises Barrett’s unique artistic vision, which often features compelling 'villainous arcs' in ordinary settings and masterfully captures the diverse facets of the Nigerian experience through his unique narrative voice and language.

Barrett's strategic use of English and Pidgin English is highlighted as a key element that infuses his stories with a naturalistic feel, reminiscent of Nigerian family films. The essay also explores how Barrett's characters express their pent-up anger and frustration through direct engagement with society, sometimes leading to violent outcomes.

While commending Barrett’s stories for their 'exuberant Nigerianness' and ability to reflect the country's realities without sensationalism, Esomnofu critiques his 'Blackass' for its 'unremarkable ending.'

Read the full essay here: https://rpublc.com/nigeria/the-voice-of-igoni-barrett/
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📝: Emmanuel Esomnofu
📷: Photo illustration by Dami Mojid / THE REPUBLIC. Source Ref 1: Igoni Barrett by FEMKE VAN ZEIJL. Ref 2: CIVITELLA ORG.
🔍: Chinonye Otuonye, Peace Yetunde Onafuye; Editors.