Japa Diaries Podcast

We officially made it to the end of Season 5!For our season finale, we're debating the biggest questions and recurring dilemmas that defined our year.Can you realistically build a life between two countries? Should Afrobeats have its own space or compete on the global stage? And when it comes to love, money, and community, what are we willing to compromise on?Thanks for rocking with us this season. Let’s keep this connection going! 💚 We want to hear from you! Where do you stand on these debates? Would you choose community with a modest income or higher earnings in isolation? What has your experience been with intercultural dating or trying to live bicoastally?📲 DM us on socials: @japa.diaries 📧 Email us your thoughts: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if Yoruba mythology got the epic fantasy treatment? Ponle Oluwole joins us to talk about Àyànmọ́: Ìbẹ̀rẹ̀, his Yoruba-inspired fantasy novel, and why he wanted to create the kind of expansive African fantasy story he wished he had growing up. We get into Yoruba mythology, the way African spirituality has been demonized and misunderstood, and what it means to see your culture treated as something epic, complex, and worth preserving. Plus, Ponle gets personal about identity, language, and raising his daughter in the diaspora. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when love crosses cultures?Sule and Kate met through soccer, fell in love, and eventually had to figure out what their relationship looked like alongside different cultures, religions, family expectations, and parenting styles.They get real about the conversations, compromises, and boundaries it took to build a life together. Plus, why loving each other was only the beginning... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi guys! We’re taking a little break from our regularly scheduled programming this week, but we’re not leaving you without something good to listen to 👀While we’re away, check out Popcorn for Dinner, a podcast for people who love a good debrief with friends after watching their favorite TV shows or movies.We’re especially excited to introduce you to their episode on The Odyssey. Give it a listen, and if you’re into it, don’t stop there! Popcorn for Dinner has a whole catalog of episodes to choose from.Listen, enjoy, and we’ll be back next week with more of the Japa Diaries episodes you know and love 💚 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You made it abroad, now everyone needs something from you 😅Fritz joins us for a very real conversation about black tax, family expectations, and the pressure that can come with being “the one who made it.” He shares his journey from Ghana to the U.S., from a full-ride scholarship and multiple campus jobs to building a career in software engineering.We get into sending money home, guilt, boundaries, and what changes when you start building a family of your own. Because making it abroad is one thing. Figuring out how much of that success you’re actually allowed to keep? That’s another conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when your family history is tied to one of the most painful chapters in Nigeria’s history? In the case of filmmakers Leke and Meji Alabi-Isama, they made a documentary about it.Leke and Meji join us to talk about their 2026 BBC documentary, Surviving Biafra, which explores the Nigerian Civil War through the stories of people who lived through it — including their own dad and grandfather, General Alabi-Isama.From uncovering archival footage to confronting the stories we inherited about the war, this conversation looks at what happens when you dig into the history that shaped your family, your community, and your country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you’ve built a life abroad… then realize you want to go home? This week we're sitting down with Desola to talk about her journey from Nigeria to the UK, and eventually, back home again. We talk about career, the realities of moving back home, and why sometimes Japa really can be a round trip. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re joined by Sayo aka Koj (or Shasco, depending on who you ask 😂) of Submarine and a Roach to talk about his Japa journey from Nigeria to Canada, the loneliness that can come with building a life abroad, and why a good salary doesn’t always equal a good life.We get into identity, community, comedy, and how finding your people (and something that gives you purpose) can make a place start to feel like home. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back and we’re kicking off season five by asking: what happens when Japa doesn’t feel like a one-way trip anymore?Abimisola and Malik catch up on their own Japa journeys, returning home, changing immigration rules, and the growing desire to keep one foot here and one foot there. Plus, we’re talking Lagos, “touching soil,” aging parents, and what it really means to have options.And because Japa Diaries is growing beyond the podcast, we’re sharing what’s next for the community, from events and screenings to our new street series.Welcome to season five gang! Let’s get into it 💚 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. left Nigeria at 13 and didn't return for 9 years. In this conversation, he shares what it's like to live between Nigeria and the UK, why he finally made a film about his father, and how creating My Father's Shadow became a healing journey for his entire family.🎬 My Father's Shadow is in U.S. theaters now, support African storytelling: mubi.com/myfathersshadow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.