The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.)

BBLs Are No Longer Hushed and That’s a Problem

Freedom of choice is the ability to make decisions without being forced or unduly pressured by others.

1 week ago

Open for Trade, Closed at the Border: Nigeria’s Visa Contradiction

Earlier this month, CNN’s international correspondent Larry Madowo posted a video from Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport, where he had just paid a $80 non-refundable visa fee to enter Nigeria from Nairobi. In the clip, he questioned why Nigeria continues to charge visitors from African countries that, in some cases, have removed similar barriers for […]

Naomi Ezenwa

1 week ago

Kate Henshaw: More Than a Nollywood Icon

Kate Henshaw’s career is a template for utilising celebrity status for social impact, while still maintaining a strong presence and evolving on screen.

John Eriomala

4 weeks ago

Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso: The State of Military Rule in Africa Thus Far

The Alliance of Sahel States was able to formalize its break from ECOWAS, leaning heavily on the argument that the regional bloc does nothing more than serve Western interests. These military governments have been able to deflect diplomatic isolation through partnerships with Russia, China, and Turkey, creating an alternative network of political cover and military support.

Naomi Ezenwa

2 months ago

Who is Nollywood Making Films For?

Conversely, in mainstream Nollywood, there exist two categories of filmmakers : the ones that make films for intellectuals and for the unthinking masses. There’s a pretension among members of both groups that they are different.

Seyi Lasisi

2 months ago

It’s a bit … concerning

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How To Lose A Match in 99 Goals

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Episode 245: “Your Toes are a Mess, You need to see a Pediatrician”

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Grok, Is This Real?

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Episode 244 :”S.T.I – Seyi Tinubu’s Internet”

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Symbol of Hope

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Episode 243: “Protect Your Towel” ft Jake Tapper

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Unlock Your Brain

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Something to Give

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Tony Tetuila’s Life is a Journey of Resilience and Grace

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Between INEC and the ADC

Last week, INEC derecognised the current leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), sparking fierce reactions from the party and public alike.

Zainab Nasreen Muhammad

6 hours ago

Confronting The Byline Fraud Crisis in Mainstream Nigerian Media

Culture journalists can log off the internet knowing the scope of their portfolio, returning to articles and their bylines in pubs they’ve not worked for.

John Eriomala

6 hours ago

Rashad Ghani on Uyoyou Adia’s “Evi” and Canon’s Interest in Nigerian and African Cinema

In 2016, Canon established its presence on the continent with the formation of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA). To reinforce its ‘closer to customer’ strategy in West Africa, it launched operations in Nigeria. According to Roman Troedthandl, the then Managing Director of CCNA, launching operations in Nigeria is a testament to the company’s commitment […]

Seyi Lasisi

7 hours ago

The Great -ification: Why Everyone Is on Substack Now

Let’s call it “The Great -ification”

Naomi Ezenwa

14 hours ago

Demilade Akingbe Needs A TikTok Support Group

Over the last couple of years, Demilade Akingbe has created content around food and culture, which captures the soul of Lagos. This has helped her make the transition into a full-time content creator whose impact has steadily compounded. This forms the backdrop of her feature on Obasanjo’s Internet. Who are you? What do you do? […]

Oluwamayowa Idowu

15 hours ago

Demilade Akingbe Needs A TikTok Support Group

Oluwamayowa Idowu

15 hours ago

Tabi Thinks Twitter is The Best Worst Social Media Platform

Tabi is a pop culture critic, humorist, and writer for her Substack newsletter Party’s Over, where she crafts prose, essays, and short stories probing the cognitive dissonance between natural instinct and social conditioning. In this version of Obasanjo’s Internet, she reflects on her day to day Internet habits and the evolution of her relationship with […]

Oluwamayowa Idowu

1 week ago

Tosin Adentan is Navigating Her Fear of Virality

Oluwatosin Adentan is a product designer, content creator, and self-proclaimed “noisemaker” who thrives on being boldly present online. Her unfiltered routines—waking to Snapchat/Twitter/Instagram checks, bedtime YouTube scrolling as a coping essential, and quick blocks/mutes for boundary-keeping—capture the internet as a chaotic pleasure hub for community-building (like 2023’s career-shifting discoveries) over disciplined work, with Instagram’s “controlled […]

Oluwamayowa Idowu

3 weeks ago

Kate Henshaw: More Than a Nollywood Icon

Kate Henshaw’s career is a template for utilising celebrity status for social impact, while still maintaining a strong presence and evolving on screen.

John Eriomala

4 weeks ago

Meet the Cinematic Vanguards Shaping Nigerian Film

With this campaign, we spotlight some of these women across the many dimensions of the industry and use them as a lens for the wider progress that has been accomplished through the resilience and persistence of women in film.

Damilola Oyeleke

1 month ago

Who is Nollywood Making Films For?

Seyi Lasisi

2 months ago

Rashad Ghani on Uyoyou Adia’s “Evi” and Canon’s Interest in Nigerian and African Cinema

Seyi Lasisi

7 hours ago

Dika Ofoma, others Selected for La Fabrique Cinéma

Nigerian filmmaker Dika Ofoma, Kenyan director Lydia Matata, and Moroccan filmmaker Kenza Tazi have been selected for the 18th edition of the La Fabrique Cinéma (The Cinema Factory) ahead of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The La Fabrique Cinéma is the Institut français programme that brings first-and second-feature projects from Global South filmmakers to Cannes […]

Seyi Lasisi

2 days ago

Oris Aigbokhaevbolo Launches The Critics’ Awards for Africa to Award Excellent African Film and TV

The inaugural Critics’ Awards for Africa will take place in the early weeks of the second quarter of 2026.

Seyi Lasisi

5 days ago

Why are Africans Not Watching African Cinema?

Six decades later, African cinema is still in its infancy when it comes to distribution and industry structures. Pioneering African filmmakers, including Ousmane Sembène, Djibril Diop Mambéty, Ola Balogun, Thérèse Bella Mbida, Safi Faye, and others, despite the financial and structural challenges they faced, started making artistically ambitious and politically conscious narratives that will be […]

Seyi Lasisi

6 days ago

How 2016 Reshaped The Sound and Ambitions of Afrobeats

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 […]

Chibuzo Emmanuel

2 months ago

Brenique Channels A Classic Era’s Vulnerability On Her New Project, “Oasis”

You’d be forgiven for thinking Brenique’s music comes straight out of the 2000s. In the best way, she embodies that era’s love for hearty songwriting and its favored sonic arrangements. The crucial distinction in the music of this Nigerian-born, UK-based artist is that she performs faith-based music, employing her art as a vehicle to reach […]

Emmanuel Esomnofu

1 week ago

Stylez Music: The 24-Year-Old Composer and Rapper Shaping Afrobeat’s Next Wave from Lagos

At just 24 years old, Precious Aiwansedo, known by his stage name Stylez Music is emerging as one of Nigeria’s most promising young talents, a rapper, singer, and gifted composer whose sound is deeply rooted in the streets and culture that raised him. Born in 2002 in Benin City, Edo State, Precious Aiwansedo grew up […]

Alex Omenye

1 week ago

Five Music Projects From Across Africa and the Diaspora You Should Check Out

These EPs, LPs, and mixtapes represent some of the best music out this year. They also hint at the direction of sounds on the continent.

John Eriomala

2 weeks ago

Hurricane Wisdom Celebrates Global Vibes With New Afrobeats Inflected Single “Living Up”

Rising US rap star Hurricane Wisdom, the 24-year-old sensation from Havana, Florida, releases LIVING UP, an Afrobeats-infused single inspired by his recent trip to Nigeria. Out now under Gamma on all major streaming platforms, the track blends his melodic rap style with buoyant rhythms, produced by Nigerian hitmaker Rugged (known for Davido collabs). An official […]

Amber Asuni

3 weeks ago

Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso: The State of Military Rule in Africa Thus Far

Naomi Ezenwa

2 months ago

Between INEC and the ADC

Last week, INEC derecognised the current leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), sparking fierce reactions from the party and public alike.

Zainab Nasreen Muhammad

6 hours ago

Five African Countries with Somewhat Progressive Abortion Laws

A woman’s decision to have an abortion is rarely simple, as many factors can influence or necessitate a woman’s need or decision to have an abortion.

Mariam Ahmed

6 days ago

Custodial Death in Benin Highlights Gaps in Nigeria’s Justice System

The death of Titilayo Akindele inside a Federal High Court in Benin City on Tuesday 31st March has raised urgent legal and ethical questions about custodial practices in Nigeria, particularly the obligations of law enforcement agencies to uphold the rights and welfare of suspects. Mrs Akindele, a 52-year-old, was prosecuted for alleged drug peddling by […]

Naomi Ezenwa

6 days ago

ICPC Arraigns El-Rufai Before Kaduna State High Court

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has, on March 31, 2026, arraigned the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, before a State High Court in Kaduna State over a raft of corruption-related charges. El-Rufai was arraigned alongside one Amadu Sule before the Kaduna State High Court “on charges that include […]

Favour Bamijoko

6 days ago

Demilade Akingbe Needs A TikTok Support Group

Oluwamayowa Idowu

15 hours ago

Tabi Thinks Twitter is The Best Worst Social Media Platform

Oluwamayowa Idowu

1 week ago

Tosin Adentan is Navigating Her Fear of Virality

Oluwamayowa Idowu

3 weeks ago

How Dami Ajayi Blends Being A Music Nerd With A Reality TV Guilty Pleasure

Substack is like heyday Twitter when there was a true sense of community.

Oluwamayowa Idowu

1 month ago

Anita Eboigbe is Using The Internet To Find Gist

Anita Eboigbe, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Big Cabal Media (home to TechCabal, Zikoko, and Citizen), has lived a rich life across the Nigerian media space. From pioneering box office data at News Agency of Nigeria, helping to build the conflict-reporting powerhouse HumAngle, and now scaling operations at Africa’s top digital media firms. Her unique […]

Oluwamayowa Idowu

1 month ago

The Great -ification: Why Everyone Is on Substack Now

Let’s call it “The Great -ification”

Naomi Ezenwa

14 hours ago

7 Predictions For Nigerian Film in 2025

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 […]

Culture Custodian Editorial Team

1 year ago

The Great -ification: Why Everyone Is on Substack Now

Let’s call it “The Great -ification”

Naomi Ezenwa

14 hours ago

Tabi Thinks Twitter is The Best Worst Social Media Platform

Oluwamayowa Idowu

1 week ago

Online Gender Based Violence: The New Frontier of Nigerian Misogyny

Gender based violence is often only thought of in physical terms: domestic abuse, financial abuse, and sexual abuse, because these forms are tangible, generally easier to track, and often receive more public awareness. However with the rise of social media and online spaces, gender based violence has taken on a more evasive form, harder to […]

Naomi Ezenwa

1 week ago

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