Feature Archives

Faridah Folawiyo’s Year of Yes

A recurring theme in Folawiyo’s discussion of her work is accessibility, not as a marketing term but as something closer to a personal correction.

Taiwo “Ogogo” Hassan, The Custodian of Action and Nollywood’s Voice of Reason

Nollywood actor Taiwo “Ogogo” Hassan, who has died aged 66 of an unnamed cancer, inspired Nigerian film audiences and industry practitioners with his commanding performances and recorded goodwill. The actor who has stayed away from mainstream attention and conversation was the face of recent conversation after one of his daughters posted a video detailing the […]

Seyi Lasisi

3 weeks ago

“Starrgirl”: Ayra Starr Trades Becoming for Being

In Starrgirl, Ayra Starr does not ask you to reconsider Ayra Starr. She assumes you already know who she is and expects you to keep up. The title alone sends listeners a message before they press play. Her first two records were titled around age — 19 & Dangerous introduced a fearless, fast-talking teenager; The […]

Mid-Year Review: The 10 Best Nigerian Songs of 2026

In the spirit of culture curation, Culture Custodian has put together a list of the best songs of 2026, so far.

What Exactly Is All This Sex Doing in Blood Sisters?

Blood Sisters Understands That Sex Can Tell a Story. It Just Doesn’t Always Know What Story It’s Telling.

Naomi Ezenwa

3 months ago

On Gendered Chart Success in Nigerian Music

Both home and abroad, there appears to be a substantial gap in the frequency with which male and female artists appear on the charts.

John Eriomala

2 months ago

Rixel Studios Wants to Make Guinness World Records History With “Black Market”

Just over a year after making its feature film debut with Red Circle, Rixel Studios is aiming even higher. The studio has announced Black Market, a new Nollywood feature directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and slated for release on September 26, 2026, at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos. And this time, Rixel is attempting something […]

Naomi Ezenwa

2 months ago

The Benin-Niger Border Might Reopen Soon

Whether that border reopens on schedule now depends on whether Cotonou and Niamey can turn their agreement into an enforceable defence and intelligence-sharing arrangement, something neither government has fully delivered on before. The deeper outcomes of these visits may take years to emerge, but for now Wadagni is giving intra-African co-operation a shot, at a time of growing geopolitical fragmentation.

Zainab Nasreen Muhammad

2 months ago

The Republic of the Mob: Nigeria’s Jungle Justice Problem

None of the men who killed the Aluu Four, or dragged Deborah Samuel from a security room to her death, burned the hunters passing through Uromi, or handed Ummulkhair Usman to an angry mob would likely describe themselves as murderers. They would describe themselves as instruments of justice. That self-deception, multiplied across hundreds of participants and normalised by years of impunity, is the moral failure at the centre of this phenomenon: a society that has quietly agreed to believe that ordinary people, in a state of rage and with no evidence beyond rumour, are more reliable arbiters of guilt and punishment than the police and courts they no longer trust.

Zainab Nasreen Muhammad

2 months ago

The Fuss About Wizkid’s “Alive” Feature is Unnecessary

If fans want to criticise Wiz’s lazy penmanship, there’s an entire mini-discography of features to pick from. But not Alive.

John Eriomala

2 months ago

The “Olodo Uprising” Is Merely a Spotlight

Last week, YCee’s comments on the Afropolitan Podcast went viral: “We’ve tried so hard to accommodate unintelligent people so they don’t feel bad, and now they’re in the majority.” “Our educational system is under attack… people don’t even want to go to school.” “It’s not even Yahoo culture, it’s now Peller culture. Go online, do […]

Naomi Ezenwa

2 months ago