7 Standout Podcasts Hosted by Nigerian Women

by 

Ekpenyong Ekpenyong

In early 2018, when podcasts in Nigeria started to gain some buzz, the two most popular women-owned Nigerian podcasts were I Said What I Said hosted by two friends — Feyikemi Abudu and Jola Ayeye, and WJGB (We Just Got Back) hosted by three women — Boj, Tamara, and King Cam. The former has grown to be unarguably the most popular and biggest podcast in the country, while the latter, sadly, is defunct. Apart from a handful of podcasts including these two, the Nigerian podcast scene catered to a very niche crowd, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the country into a lockdown in 2020. Stuck indoors, we saw a rise in music projects and extended bodies of work from Nigerian artists as well as in the number of podcast episodes from podcasters. This can easily be attributed to the ease and convenience of recording from home the lockdown afforded. Now, with a growing appetite for podcasts, more Nigerian podcasts have emerged. While we have not seen a surge in the number of podcasts, there has been an improvement in quality, as podcasters now have access to good audio editing software, good microphones, and are now talking about more engaging and relatable topics. However, this is not without problems such as monetization and marketing that have continued to plague the majority of podcasters. Amidst these setbacks, the following Nigerian women have continued to deliver informative and entertaining content to Nigerians, and the world at large, through their podcasts.

I LIKE GIRLS

Aisha Salaudeen, the host and producer of this podcast, is a seasoned journalist and multiplatform producer who is passionate about sharing the experiences of African women. She explains how these stories shape the lives of women and reveals how it impacts the African woman in all aspects. In every episode of this storytelling podcast, she uses conversations with women from different backgrounds to reveal prejudices against women. She makes very good use of dramatic pauses, sound bites, and sound effects to deliver an all-around immersive listening experience. In its first season, she explored topics like sexuality, gender discrimination, feminism and Christianity, medical gaslighting, as well as the challenges that single women face during house hunting, with the likes of Azizat Olaoluwa, Mona Eltahawy, Ope Adedeji, and Yasmin Abdel-Magied, to mention a few. I Like Girls is currently getting ready to kick off its second season after its first season ended in October 2021. In February 2022, Aisha joined Visual Audio Times, a podcast network located in Lagos, as Head of Production. I Like Girls is supported by Radio Now 95.3FM, Femme Africa, and News Wire Nigeria.

MUM’S WORST DAY

Mum’s Worst Day is an avenue for mums to share their stories, things that did not go quite as planned, and the interesting trials that come with motherhood. This podcast aims to “encourage and uplift women, ease the burden of their ever-present Mom Guilt, and to let them know that they are not alone” says the host, Nicole Chikwe, in the opening twenty seconds of every episode of this podcast. Real-life experiences contained in this podcast are not only for mums, but also for aspiring mums as they center on conversations around pregnancy, childbirth, parenting, and motherhood. Older mums can also listen to this podcast to reminisce on the “worst days” of their lives. As a mother of three, Nicole is the perfect host for this podcast. It also helps that she is the founder of The Mummy Summit, a premier conference that serves and connects African Millennial mothers. When she is not helping mothers navigate motherhood or being a beauty and wellness enthusiast, she is writing hilarious captions for her “premium pie” Instagram persona. It is distributed by Midas Radio, a Nigerian podcast, and playlist network.

JESS FINESSE PRESENTS

This is hosted by Jess Chibueze, a 28-year-old Nigerian American who moved back to Lagos in 2015, upon graduation from the University of Virginia. Since then, she has been manoeuvring the entertainment industry whilst living life on her terms and carving a niche for herself. For a brief period, she co-hosted the very revered but now defunct Loose Talk Podcast, where she brought her highly appreciated Nigerian American point of view to conversations on the podcast. She also shared her story of why she moved back on other podcasts as well. Every Friday on Jess Finesse Presents, she sits with different guests that range from music artists to entertainment industry executives to discuss their journeys, recent happenings in pop culture, and Nigeria’s burgeoning music industry woes. You are sure to always hear Jess ask every guest the signature question: “white, or yellow?” This is because the 1 hour+ conversation has to be had while they “smoke” Garri — an activity that she considers sacred, as she says that she doesn’t smoke garri with just anyone. She has done this with Ycee, Nyeka Douglas, Layydoe, Tosan Wilts, Dolapo Amusat, to mention a few. This podcast is worth listening to because it spotlights creatives and offers insight into their lives. When Jess is not podcasting, she is giving her Instagram followers BTS photos of music videos from her mobile phone and curating her playlists — The Flexlist, and Crude Oil: Drill World. It is produced and distributed by EggCorn Digital, a creative agency and podcast network that is also home to podcast giant — I Said What I Said Podcast.

F&S UNCENSORED

Birthed and hosted by two best friends, Feyikemi Akin-Bankole and Simi Badiru, F&S Uncensored first premiered on 31st October 2018 in England. They were recording and releasing episodes from their university apartments at the time. After two years of moving back to Lagos and working in the Nigerian music industry, they have gained the knowledge and confidence to offer commentary on worthy pop culture topics and informed opinions on how these topics affect Nigerians — precisely, the Gen Z demographic. They stand out for not discussing pop culture but also addressing burning questions young people in their 20s would like to get answers to. They are fast becoming a favourite because of their relatability to the younger generation. During the course of an episode that averages an hour, the hosts create a listening experience that is relaxed and entertaining. They have had the likes of Korty EO, Ria Sean, Blaqbonez, TMXO, and many other creatives as guests. When they are not documenting pop culture on their podcast, Feyikemi and Simi are supporting the culture with their platforms. They have helped emerging Nigerian artists gain more reach by playlisting their songs to major Digital Streaming Platforms like Apple Music, and online radio stations. With over 100 hours of conversation in their catalogue of 147 episodes, they are convinced that they have the most consistent podcast out of Nigeria.

RED CARD

Dolly Akitoye, who describes herself as observant and very reflective, is the sole host of this podcast. She helps her audience navigate their personal relationships; romantic and platonic. Having been in romantic relationships herself, she does not hesitate to use her experiences when necessary to explain how nuanced love is. With a voice so euphonic, she reads real stories from people who write to the podcast and worthy stories she finds on the internet. Since launching in January 2020, this podcast has discussed signs of unhealthy relationships, reasons why people should end relationships, how to identify toxic partners, and a lot of other topics about love and relationships. A typical episode sees Dolly narrate a story and gives her opinion of the story at the end of the narration. She also proffers solutions if the story is a dilemma. This is done succinctly as episodes are kept well under thirty minutes. They say experience is the best teacher, however, there is no harm in learning from other people’s experiences as this podcast will help you know when to issue your partner the Red Card. She also hosts another podcast called Road To 30 with her long time friend, Isaac. Every Sunday, they dive into topics that are peculiar to individuals who are in their 20s and on their roads to 30. When she is not podcasting, she is screenwriting for House 27, blogging, and sharing her memories and thoughts in her newsletter.

THE CHATTERBOX PODCAST

All the way from London, United Kingdom, two Nigerian cousins named Ayowande and Oyinlola have been documenting and commenting on everything music, pop culture, and entertainment since July 2017. This is evidenced by the 111 episodes in their catalogue with older episodes of this podcast heavily focused on Nigerian, American, and British pop culture. So far, these two music lovers have had guests such as 2 Gs In A Pod, MoChunks TV, Mukhy, Dxboy, and occasionally their cousins. After their almost ten-month break in 2021, they have returned and are determined to reach a wider audience. They are back with new episodes that sound crisper, and more topics that touch on not only pop culture, but lifestyle and personal relationships. They approach conversations from the point of view of being Nigerians living in the diaspora.

SIS, PLEASE!

In 2019, PornHub released its “Top 25 Countries Searching BBW” list with Nigeria in the first place which is interesting since many Nigerians still shy away from talking about sex openly. Enter Morin, the host of this podcast, who is determined to have uncomfortable conversations surrounding sex and relationships. With help from her friends, she is demystifying sexual myths, kinks, and taboos, one episode after the other. As inconsistently as she uploads episodes, your entertainment whenever you listen, is constant. With fifteen episodes and counting, this podcast normalises conversations surrounding sex, while changing the narrative about weird sexual habits, sex toys, and toxic masculinity.

In conclusion, the list of Nigerian women podcasting is not limited to these few ones alone. There are many more who are constantly producing and curating content around various facets of their lives and telling stories that resonate with Nigerian women and women across the globe. These podcasts are helping women navigate their experiences with a shared community.

Ekpenyong Ekpenyong is a medical student and podcasts enthusiast. When he is not studying for tests, you can find him discussing Nigerian music and tweeting about Nigerian pop culture